Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to MRSA among BSc Nursing Students Who Attend Clinical Training at Teaching Hospital Karapitiya

Abstract

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resistant to all ? lactam antibiotics and it can cause small abscess to life threatening sepsis or endocarditis. The risks of death in MRSA patients were three times greater than other nosocomial infections. Student nurses are tomorrows staff nurses and without proper knowledge about MRSA, they may be vulnerable to MRSA infection and dissemination. The objective of this paper is to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices related to MRSA among BSc nursing students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 134 BSc nursing students. Overall knowledge related to MRSA of the most students (65.7%) were not satisfactory, (the mean was 9.5 ±5:277 out of 20). The majority of students had a satisfactory level of knowledge (P=0. 000) with increased exposure to clinical training. Most of the students (90.3%) have good caring attitude towards MRSA positive patients (mean, 24.68 ± 2.90; n=30). Further, significantly good attitudes were observed among students with the unsatisfied overall knowledge (P=0. 033). Majority of the students learned about MRSA from hospital staff and the other possible sources were textbooks, clinical practice and internet. The gaps in knowledge must be filled with necessary interventions such as incorporation of introduce lectures on MRSA to the curriculum, motivation of the students for selflearning through tutorials and case studies and to provide books, journals and materials on MRSA) as demanded by the majority of nursing students. Before the commencement of clinical training the students should be provided with adequate knowledge related to MRSA.