| Summary: | There is an increase in HIV/AIDS and other blood borne diseases. Health care workers
are often exposed to blood and body fluids and thus prone to blood borne infections.
Preventative measures can be taken to prevent health workers from contracting these
diseases. However, health care workers need to stringently apply these measures.
Universal precautions against blood borne infections include diligent hygiene practices,
such as hand washing and drying, appropriate handling and disposal of sharp objects,
prevention of needle stick or sharp injuries, appropriate handling of patient care
equipment and soiled linen, environmental cleaning and spills management, appropriate
handling of waste as well as protective clothing such as gloves, gowns, aprons, masks
and protective eyewear.
This study is aimed at investigating compliance with universal precautions in operating
theatres in Northern KwaZulu–Natal as well as perceptions of registered nurses working in
these operating theatres regarding factors influencing compliance in order to contribute to
measures to limit the risk of infection to patients and health care workers.
A sequential explanatory design, mixed–method (quantitative and qualitative) was used to
explore the use of universal precautions in operating theatres in the Northern Kwa–Zulu
Natal. In the first phase, the sample consisted of practices in operating theatres of six
hospitals and one regional hospital in area 3 of Kwa–Zulu Natal. The adapted structured
checklist based on an established document developed by the MASA Committee for
Science and Education (1995) was pilot tested. The collected data was statistically
analysed and interpreted with the help of a statistician using SPSS. The results of Phase
1 were used as a base for the Phase 2 questions. Three focus group interviews were
conducted with professional nurses who were observed during Phase 1 at the selected
hospitals.
Findings from quantitative data show that although health care workers take precautions
to prevent infections, they do not attain full compliance to universal precautions. The
qualitative data indicated that the reasons for non–compliance amongst others were the
lack of knowledge of universal precautions, communication factors, resources, including maintenance of equipment, lack of supplies and shortage of human resources and
attitudes of health care workers. === Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.
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