Enhancing Nursing Students' Knowledge of COVID-19 and Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections

Strategic Insights -

Researchers conducted a study to analyze the effect of an educational intervention on nursing students' knowledge of COVID-19, standard precautions (SP), transmission-based precautions, and compliance with SP. The study showed that teaching standard precautions during undergraduate courses in health-related fields is essential for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The educational intervention, which included an interactive lecture, a video presentation, and an instructor-led demonstration of donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE), resulted in significant improvements in SP compliance and knowledge of COVID-19 and SP measures.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that the educational intervention was an effective strategy for enhancing nursing students' knowledge of COVID-19, SP measures, and compliance with SP.
  • The intervention resulted in significant improvements in SP compliance, including the use of alcohol-based products for hand hygiene, proper disposal of sharps containers, and disposing of contaminated materials in white plastic bags.
  • The study demonstrated a positive correlation between the educational intervention and an increase in correct answers in 14 questions related to COVID-19 and SP measures.
  • Factors such as participant characteristics, previous experience with COVID-19, and previous knowledge of SP measures were found to have no association with knowledge or compliance with SP.
  • The study provides evidence that teaching standard precautions during undergraduate courses in health-related fields is essential for preventing HAI.
  • The study highlights the importance of educator-led demonstrations and interactive learning methods in improving SP compliance and knowledge of COVID-19 and SP measures.
  • The study's findings suggest that nurses can play a critical role in preventing HAI by adhering to proper SP measures.

Statistics:

  • The study involved 80 nursing students at a higher education institution in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
  • The educational intervention resulted in a significant increase in correct answers in 14 questions related to COVID-19 and SP measures, with seven showing statistically significant differences.
  • The study found significant improvements in SP compliance, including the use of alcohol-based products for hand hygiene (p < 0.001), proper disposal of sharps containers (p < 0.01), and disposing of contaminated materials in white plastic bags (p < 0.05).

Sources:

  • Effect of an educational intervention on nursing students' knowledge about COVID-19 and compliance with standard and transmission-based precautions: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Nursing, 2025;24(1):1071. (BioMed Central - www.biomedcentral.com/; BMC Nursing - www.biomedcentral.com/bmcnurs/)
  • Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. August 31, 2025; p 59.