###### Abstract  
Knowledge is a crucial aspect of nursing. Nurses, just like any other healthcare workers (HCWs), are empowered with the knowledge of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Postexposure Prophylaxis (PEP) protocol to be followed, including post-exposure to blood and body fluids (BBFs). The utilization of HIV PEP demonstrated its capabilities to prevent HCWs from HIV infections. However, the practice in healthcare settings remains a challenge, as many HCWs do not adhere to the protocol. This study investigated how knowledgeable nurses are about HIV PEP in the era of controlled and stable HIV prevalence. Ninety-four nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire to provide information. A biostatistician assisted with data analysis, using Microsoft Excel converted to the STATA 13 format. Most (77.0%) were female with a mean age of \(30\pm 9\) years. The degree of knowledge was low, although the results showed that 90.43% of nurses had been informed about HIV PEP. Eighty (84%) did not know where to access HIV PEP, and (55.32%) were unaware of HIV PEP guidelines. A comparison between knowledge and work experience revealed that those with five years and less experience are less knowledgeable. There is a need to improve nurses' knowledge of HIV PEP to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition from work-related activities. HIV; knowledge; nurses; occupational exposure; postexposure prophylaxis +
Footnote †: journal: Applied  
18 October 202  
infection [5]. Occupational HIV PEP emerged as an effective and ethical method with which to prevent HIV infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) [6; 7]. Prophylactic PEP is designed for use as a preventative intervention which includes following a protocol and completing a program of postexposure management to prevent HIV infection after experiencing occupational exposure [8]. Additionally, PEP intervention recognizes the need to improve uptake and completion rates without differentiating between exposure sources but rather provides recommendations across all exposures [7]. The utilization of HIV PEP demonstrated its capabilities to protect and prevent HCWs from the transmission of occupational infections. While HIV PEP is recognized and highly recommended as a cornerstone and the only means of reducing the risk of HIV infection after accidental exposure in the health care setting, there is evidence that some HCWs, including frontline nurses, lack knowledge about PEP. Some studies have reported favorable knowledge of HIV PEP among HCWs, including nurses [9; 10; 11], while several others have found important knowledge gaps in PEP among healthcare workers [12; 13; 14]. Drawing from the above background, it is evident that poor knowledge of HIV PEP remains a challenge among HCWs, including nurses. The evidence shows that HCWs are reluctant to use and adhere to the reporting procedure and take precautionary treatment. For instance, a study that was conducted in the Hiwot Fana specialized university hospital in eastern Ethiopia on the knowledge of, attitude to, and practice of PEP against HIV infection among HCWs indicated that all the respondents had heard about HIV PEP and 83% of the participants had adequate knowledge of HIV PEP. However, 43.4% had an unfavorable attitude towards PEP, because they failed to report incidents of exposure and follow PEP protocol [15]. A study in southwestern Nigeria also showed that, among 181 HCWs who had heard about PEP and were aware of the national PEP guidelines, only 2.7% had good mean knowledge scores, while 57.3% and 40.0% had moderate and poor mean knowledge scores for PEP, respectively [16]. In South Africa, a study on the knowledge and uptake of occupational post-exposure prophylaxis amongst nurses caring for people living with HIV showed that 40% did not know what PEP is and 22% did not know or were not sure if it was available in the hospital where they were working. As such, poor knowledge made them not seek PEP when the need arose [17]. Failure to seek PEP placed them at risk of being infected with HIV and bloodborne infections.