Knowledge and Training Needs in Nosocomial Infection among Hospital Staff in the City of Kielce, Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction. Nosocomial infections are an integral part of health care services, posing a threat to both patients and medical staff. The duty and role of nursing staff is to prevent nosocomial infections in every hospitalized person. Material and Methodology. The study involved 635 nurses working in various surgical and conservative wards. The technique used was the author’s questionnaire, which contained 30 questions and was divided into three components. Results. The level of knowledge among the surveyed nurses was at a sufficient level for more than half of the total tested population, and its level was influenced by two variables: the specialization held and the level of education. Nurses working in medical wards have a higher level of knowledge in the area of basic concepts related to nosocomial infections, and people who use specialist medical literature and participate in specialist courses have a sufficient level of knowledge. The shortest time since the last training results in a higher level of knowledge and a higher level of knowledge in the area covering the basic concepts of nosocomial infections. The most frequently selected issues on which nurses would like to expand their knowledge were post-exposure procedures and methods of monitoring nosocomial infections. Conclusions. The knowledge of the nursing staff in the field of nosocomial infections is diverse, and its main determinants are specialization, education, and age. A sufficient level of knowledge among the respondents is conditioned primarily by the use of specialist literature and participation in specialist courses, which determine both the scope and area of knowledge on nosocomial infections.