Determining Operating Room Nurses’ Knowledge and Use of Evidence-Based Recommendations on Preventing Surgical Site Infections

Although surgical site infections are a common problem, it is reported that 70% can be prevented by perioperative personnel compliance with evidence-based recommendations. The present study aimed to determine operating room nurses’ knowledge and use of the updated evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of Surgical Site Infection. This research is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study was carried out with 228 operating room nurses from 81 different hospitals. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form and Questionnaire for Knowing and Implementing Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection between April and October 2019. The nurses were aware of the guidelines and suggestions for preventing surgical site infection, and the related updates (76.3%-96.6%). However, there were variations in the rate of applying the guidelines’ recommendations in the institutions (40.4%-93.4%). Compliance with the guidelines was generally good in areas under nursing management, such as wearing sterile gloves (93.4%), nail length (91.2%), maintaining normothermia (88.6%), surgical brushing (81.1%) and hair removal with a clip (74.5%). However, it was lower in areas such as a bath with soap or with an antiseptic solution (40.4%), decision to remove hair (46.5%), keeping operating room doors closed (57%), operating room traffic (62.7%), and continuing prophylactic antibiotics after surgery (89.4%). Compliance should be improved in areas such as preoperative washing and minimizing staff numbers in the operating room. It is important to reflect the guidelines in clinical practice, but the present study shows differences between the proposed application and actual practice. In this case, a possible solution is a range of care bundle, each consisting of a few specific suggestions, that would be selected by the institutions and the perioperative team in accordance with their surgery type and patient group.