KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF HATAY HEALTH CARE STUDENTS ABOUT PROTECTION AND CONTROL FROM HOSPITAL INFECTIONS

Abstract

Health-related infections are important public health problems. Morbidity and mortality rates and health care costs are increasing in both developed and developing countries. The main purpose of infection control is to reduce the occurrence and transmission of infectious diseases. Exposure to infectious diseases is one of the most common occupational hazards faced by healthcare workers. Health Services Vocational School students are exposed to situations that increase the risk of infection with infectious diseases during their stay in hospital. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a survey in order to evaluate students' knowledge and attitudes about prevention and control of infectious diseases.
A total of 232 students, 75 (32.3%) males and 157 (67.7%) females, participated in the study. 99 (42.7%) of the students participating in the study were from the health vocational high school. Among the standard precautions to be taken to prevent hospital infections, 100% of the students think that gloves and 99% of them think that hand hygiene is important in isolation. 97% of the participants were able to define the hospital infection correctly. 95.3% of the students answered the steps that constitute the infection chain correctly. However, in our binary questions; It was observed that the symbols used in the contamination and isolation methods are not known exactly.
As a result; It is observed that our students lack information about the prevention and control of hospital infections, but it is not forgotten that they learned in orientation trainings. Therefore, it is considered that more detailed and on-site issues should be given in practice.