Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevention has been made over the past decade. However, HAIs increases patients’ length of stay, higher inpatient costs, risk of morbidity, and mortality. The inappropriate instrument processing can cause harm to both health care workers and patients involved in the process. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the instrument processing practice and associated factors among nurses working at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

Methods: This study was done among 335 nurses working at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital by using a cross-sectional survey. The study period was from December 20 to 29/2021. Data were collected by using the interview technique. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.2.0.0 and SPSS version 21 was used for statistical analysis.

Result: A total of 335 nurses were participated in the study and the response rate was 99.11%. The mean age of the nurse was 31.16 years (standard deviation=5.253). About 184(54.9%) of the nurses were aged below 31 years. The majority 182(54.3%) of the nurses were male. The level of good practice towards Instrument processing among nurses was 46% (n=154, 95%CI; 40.4,51.9). The multivariable logistic regression showed that educational level (AOR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.24, 8.45, p=0.044)), awareness towards instrument processing (AOR=3.523, 95%CI: 1.424,8.741); p=0.006) and good instrument processing knowledge (AOR=1.941, 95%CI: 1.132,3.327; p=0.016) were factors significantly associated with instrument processing practice.

Conclusions: The level of good instrument processing practice among nurses was low. Health educational programs and training on instrument processing are essential to enhance instrument processing practice among nurses.

Keywords

associated factors, decontamination, instrument processing, practice and sterilization