COMPLIANCE AND NONCOMPLIANCE OF UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS AMONG DIFFERENT GROUPS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS USING THE CONSTRUCT OF THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL: IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM DECISIONMAKING.
Contributors: Wayne State University.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 182
Subjects: Health Sciences, Occupational Health and Safety.; Health Sciences, Education.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This research identified the factors of compliance and noncompliance of Universal Precautions (UP) among and within different groups of HCWs at a 420-bed teaching hospital in the midwest and tried to determine the underlying behavior patterns associated with the noncompliance through the use of the Health Belief Model.

Through a descriptive research design, 168 HCWs responded to an anonymous, self-report, 50-item questionnaire about both compliance and noncompliance of UP and also pertinent demographic information. Significant differences in mean scores were determined by use of a two-tailed t test. HCWs estimated they were most likely to perform handwashing when in contact with body fluids without gloves, after patient contact when no body fluids were involved and to wear goggles if splashing with blood was likely. The lowest levels of compliance were related to needle recapping, wearing a gown when appropriate, and handwashing after contact with blood with gloves.

The most common obstacles to compliance with UP were not enough time to use precautions, the personal protective equipment (PPE) was not readily available, PPE interfered with patient skills and the patient appears to be at lower risk. The hypotheses that those HCWs with more than three perceived obstacles to compliance would be less compliant, and those HCWs with three or more training experiences would be more compliant was not proven in this study. However, there were statistically significant differences found between the groups for needle recapping. Physicians recapped more than nurses after administering IM/SubQ injections, after starting an IV line, after drawing an ABG sample (p = $<$0.01), and after drawing venous blood (p = $<$0.05).

Although the Health Belief Model findings were limited in this study, the model can still be applied to the workers in the health care environment. This study suggests a multifaceted approach to curriculum decisionmaking to improve Infection Control Programs on Universal Precautions.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-04, Section: B, page: 2492.

Thesis (ED.D.)--WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, 1996.

School code: 0254.