COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARD PRECAUTIONS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG NURSES AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN MULTAN, PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Keywords:
Standard precautions, compliance, nurses, infection control, Multan, PakistanAbstract
Background: Standard precautions (SPs) are the foundation of infection prevention and control (IPC), yet adherence among nurses in resource-limited settings remains inconsistent.
Objective: To assess SP compliance and its sociodemographic and institutional determinants among nurses at a tertiary care hospital in Multan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 registered nurses using a structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression identified independent predictors of good compliance. Results: Mean compliance was 63.4 ± 9.8 out of 80 (79.3%); 68.9% demonstrated good compliance. Prior IPC training (AOR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.48–5.84), availability of IPC guidelines in the unit (AOR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.62–6.35), and ≥6 years of experience (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.08–4.36) were significant predictors.
Conclusion: Compliance is moderate, with institutional factors being the most modifiable determinants. Guideline availability and recurrent training should be prioritized.
