AbstractsEducation Research & Administration

The infection prevention and control education of nursing and midwifery students

by Deborah Ward




Institution: University of Manchester
Department:
Year: 2015
Keywords: infection prevention, education, nursing, midwifery
Record ID: 1400042
Full text PDF: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/escholar/uk-ac-man-scw:261138


Abstract

Introduction. Infection prevention and control is both a national and international priority, with compliance with precautions being sub-optimal. One of the reasons suggested for poor compliance is a lack of appropriate education for health care professionals. There is a limited body of research available which considers infection prevention and control education for nursing students, particularly in clinical placements and no identified research in this area in midwifery.Aim. A body of research was undertaken with the overall aim of exploring and analysing the experiences and learning needs of nursing and midwifery students in relation to infection prevention and control in their clinical placements.Methods. An interpretivist approach was utilised to undertake semi-structured interviews with 32 nursing students, 15 midwifery students and 31 nurse mentors within a body of research comprising of three related studies. Date were analysed using Framework Analysis.Results. Several themes emerged from the body of work including the nature of infection prevention and control practice that is perceived as good or poor practice; attitudes towards infection prevention and control; barriers and motivators to learning about infection prevention and control; attitudes towards the infection prevention and control nurse and barriers to reporting poor practice.Conclusions. The body of work presented has several implications for future practice and research. New knowledge has been developed in particular in relation to perceptions of the role of the infection prevention and control nurse, barriers to reporting poor practice, the infection prevention and control education of midwifery students and the acceptance of poor practice as the norm. By triangulating findings from three separate but related studies, the research has been strengthened, providing additional support for the conclusions reached.