Emergency Nurses' Perception and Performance of Tuberculosis Infection Control Measures

Kim, Soo Jung; Kang, Jiyeon

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and performance of tuberculosis infection control measures among emergency department nurses.
METHODS
A structured questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 227 emergency department nurses from 20 hospitals in B City.
RESULTS
The mean perception score was 4.52 out of a possible 5, and the mean performance score was 3.31 out of a possible 5. There were big differences between the perception and performance score on the items regarding wearing a gown or mask, while there were small differences on the items regarding dealing with patients' articles or medication.
CONCLUSION
Emergency nurses showed high perception and low performance score on the items related to facilities and regulation such as visitation restriction or patient isolation. There was a positive correlation between perception and performance score.
CONCLUSION
For emergency nurses, perception is higher than performance of tuberculosis infection control measures. The findings indicate the importance of providing continuing education for emergency nurse professionals seeking to update and increase their knowledge and to develop evidence-based nursing protocols on tuberculosis infection control in emergency department.