TY - JOUR
T1 - Variables influencing worker compliance with universal precautions in the emergency department
AU - O'Boyle Williams, Carol
AU - Campbell, Scott
AU - Henry, Keith
AU - Collier, Phyllis
PY - 1994/6
Y1 - 1994/6
N2 - Background: Emergency department health care workers frequently provide care to patients who are in unstable condition, bleeding, or in a crisis situation. To identify the variables described in the Health Belief Model affecting health care workers' compliance with practices and devices believed to reduce exposure to patients' blood, the staff of a level II trauma center were surveyed for knowledge, compliance, and training regarding universal precautions. Methods: Fifty-three health care workers responded to an anonymous, self-report, 50-item questionnaire. Significant differences in mean scores were determined by use of a two-tailed t test. Results: Health care workers estimated they were most likely to perform handwashing after contact with body fluids and to wear gloves if contact with blood was anticipated. The most common obstacles to compliance with universal precautions were lack of time, patients perceived to be at lower risk for HIV or hepatitis B infections, and interference with technical skills. Health care workers with more than three perceived obstacles to universal precautions were less likely to use gloves (p < 0.05) if contact with blood was anticipated. Health care workers with a higher number of training experiences in universal precautions were more likely to use gloves if contact with blood was anticipated (p < 0.05) and less likely to recap a needle after giving an intravascular injection (p < 0.05), drawing a blood gas sample (p < 0.05), or injecting medication into an intravenous line (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The application of the Health Belief Model to this problem suggests that an integrated approach is appropriate. Such an approach should incorporate engineering controls, cognitive approaches, behavior modification strategies, and training experiences to improve skills and dexterity.
AB - Background: Emergency department health care workers frequently provide care to patients who are in unstable condition, bleeding, or in a crisis situation. To identify the variables described in the Health Belief Model affecting health care workers' compliance with practices and devices believed to reduce exposure to patients' blood, the staff of a level II trauma center were surveyed for knowledge, compliance, and training regarding universal precautions. Methods: Fifty-three health care workers responded to an anonymous, self-report, 50-item questionnaire. Significant differences in mean scores were determined by use of a two-tailed t test. Results: Health care workers estimated they were most likely to perform handwashing after contact with body fluids and to wear gloves if contact with blood was anticipated. The most common obstacles to compliance with universal precautions were lack of time, patients perceived to be at lower risk for HIV or hepatitis B infections, and interference with technical skills. Health care workers with more than three perceived obstacles to universal precautions were less likely to use gloves (p < 0.05) if contact with blood was anticipated. Health care workers with a higher number of training experiences in universal precautions were more likely to use gloves if contact with blood was anticipated (p < 0.05) and less likely to recap a needle after giving an intravascular injection (p < 0.05), drawing a blood gas sample (p < 0.05), or injecting medication into an intravenous line (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The application of the Health Belief Model to this problem suggests that an integrated approach is appropriate. Such an approach should incorporate engineering controls, cognitive approaches, behavior modification strategies, and training experiences to improve skills and dexterity.
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U2 - 10.1016/0196-6553(94)90002-7
DO - 10.1016/0196-6553(94)90002-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 7943924
AN - SCOPUS:0028304858
SN - 0196-6553
VL - 22
SP - 138
EP - 148
JO - AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
JF - AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
IS - 3
ER -