Nurses Knowledge Regarding Personal Protective Equipment in Intensive Care Units at a Public Tertiary Care Public Hospital, Peshawar

PPE is designed to protect Health Care Workers (HCWs) from workplace infections and injuries and the most commonly used equipment including goggles, masks, medical gloves

is recommended [3]. The literature emphasizes that PPE shall be used properly by all who provide care to patients in situations where they contact with blood and body liquids [4]. A disruption in PPE usage contributes to the transmission of infection from clients to HCP, other clients, and entourages [5]. The WHO guesses that about 2.5% of HIV and 40% of HBV and HCV cases amongst HCWs globally are the results of these contacts [6]. According to the center for disease control, universal precaution is customary for actions that are required to prevent infections from bloodborne or body uid-borne infections [7]. PPE is designed to protect healthcare providers from Implementation of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is one of the utmost noteworthy tactics for healthcare providers to shield themselves from, various airborne, blood born, or other body uid infections in a healthcare setting. PPE is designed to protect Health Care Workers (HCWs) from workplace infections and injuries and the most commonly used equipment including goggles, masks, medical gloves, and respirators [1]. It creates a fence between the potentially communicable bugs and the healthcare member of staff to avert infection [2]. For supreme prevention of contagion among Health Care Workers (HCWs); appropriate wearing and removal of PPE The design of the study was an institutionally based crosssectional study design as the purpose of the study is to

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serious workplace injuries or illnesses [8]. The Centers for Disease Control has suggested that standard protections are used on all clients, regardless of their information about their contagion status [9]. PPE creates a barricade between the potentially transmittable bugs and the healthcare operative to thwart infection [1]. PPE comprises "gloves, gowns, head covers, masks, respirators, eye protection, face shields, and goggles" [10]. For determined avoidance of infection among HCWs, CDC indorsed accurate wearisome and Removal of PPE, moreover, If the HCWs will not follow the guideline then they will get an infection even if they use PPE [11]. Needlestick or other sharps harm, a squish of blood or other body liquids into the eyes, nostrils, or buccal mucosa, or blood interaction with non-intact skin are the communal means of occupational exposure to blood [12], such processes not only defend the client but also the HCWs and the surroundings. The most important pathogens related to universal precautions are HIV, HBV, and HCV [13]. According to the USA, there is 9 to 42 per million death of health workers occurs due to occupational infections annually [14]. According to WHO, there are approximately 3 million HCWs out of 36 million obtain an injury with a sharp tool, thus consequential in 20 lakhs infected with HBV and 10 lakhs with HCV worldwide per year [15]. Several studies have reported in Pakistan that there were 0.8% HBV and 3.2% to 5.6 HCV cases among the HCWs [16]. Several studies have reported that there were partial (50%) of the respondents had no information about PPE; more than one-third (37%) had ordinary awareness of PPE while 13% had virtuous knowledge. Awareness of PPE was premier amid doctors than nurses [17]. According to the USA, there is 9 to 42 per million death of health workers occurs due to occupational infections annually [14]. In Pakistan that there were 0.8% HBV and 3.2% to 5.6% HCV cases reported among the HCWs [18]. From the available literature, compliance with the PPE among nurses in the Tertiary care Hospitals of KPK has not been evaluated. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the knowledge level among nurses of PPE in the course of their duties at tertiary care hospitals. Implementation of PPE is one of the most important strategies for health care providers to protect themselves from various blood born or other body uid infections in a health care setting. Nationally, there is a paucity of literature regarding compliance with PPE among nurses. Therefore, this study was undertaken to explore the knowledge of PPE among nurses working in ICUs at tertiary care hospitals.

PJHS VOL. 4 Issue. 5 May 2023
Copyright © 2023. PJHS, Published by Crosslinks International Publishers determine nurses' knowledge regarding PPE in intensive care units at two tertiary care hospitals, in Peshawar. The participants in this study consisted of all of the registered nurses who are currently employed at the Tertiary Care Public Hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. The study is conducted at Hayatabad Medical Complex, a public tertiary care hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. It provides medical and allied as well as surgical and allied services to people. It has about 1280 beds occupancy and currently, about 450 registered nurses are providing their services as of November 15, 2022. HMC achieved ISO 9001-2015 certi cation recently on 28 January 2023 for its quality c a r e. D a t a we r e c o l l e c te d t h r o u g h a n a d o p te d questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 26 items. 21 items were related to the knowledge regarding PPE and 5 items were related to HIV transmission to healthcare providers. All the questions were clear and easy to understand. ≤ 50% score was a poor knowledge level, >50% to ≤ 75% was average and >75% was a good knowledge level. The study duration was 6 months that is started from May 2019 to October 2019. To calculate the required sample size, we utilized the Open EPI program and the single population proportion population formula, along with a con dence interval of 95%, a proportion of 50%, and a margin of error of 5%. To recruit nurses for this research, a probability convenient sampling approach is used. 81 Nurses responded to the questionnaire based on explaining the purpose and taking informed consent regarding data collection. Sampling was done through a convenient sampling technique and the sample size was calculated using Raosoft software with a 95% con dence interval and 5% margin of error. The nurses who were directly involved in patient care and who had equal or more than 5 years of experience and work in intensive care units.Nursing Students, administration nursing staff, and Nursing Internees were excluded.Nurses who have less than 5 years of experience were excluded from the study. Approval from the graduate studies committee, advanced studies, research board of KMU, and university ethics committee is obtained before commencing data collection. Administrative permission from the hospital in Peshawar is obtained. Participants are enrolled in the study. Informed consent is obtained from all the participants after explaining the purpose and bene ts of the study and ensuring the con dentiality of the included subjects. All willing participants are interviewed after obtaining informed consent. An adopted, structured questionnaire was used to gather data for this research. The questionnaire was provided to the participants in hard copy form. Their responses were recorded on the questionnaire, and a unique form number was assigned to each questionnaire to ensure accurate identi cation and maintain participant anonymity. The data were then entered into Epi data software for further processing. The questionnaire used in the research has its content validity and was evaluated, and it has also been pilot tested on 10% of the total sample size drawn from the population. In terms of reliability, Cronbach's alpha coe cient is utilized to be signi cant, so that consistency can be measured. The appropriateness of the instrument is determined through the utilization of a pre-testing exercise, and to analyze and nalize the instrument before it is put into use, a variety of expert reviewers are solicited for assistance. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 22.0. In descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables while mean and standard deviation were calculated for continuous variables.

PJHS VOL. 4 Issue. 5 May 2023
Copyright © 2023. PJHS, Published by Crosslinks International Publishers with a percentage of 2.5 as shown in table 2, the main reason was fewer organizations offering Master of Science in nursing programs in Nursing in Pakistan and only a few graduates come to the clinical bedside area after completion of their degree program. Most of the participants were staff nurses according to their designation, so 74 staff nurses participated in the study with a percentage of 91.4% and only 6 head nurses and 1 shift supervisor participated in the study with a percentage of 7.4 and 1.2% as shown in table 2.   C o n  i c t s o f I n t e r e s t The authors declare no con ict of interest.
S o u r c e o f F u n d i n g The authors received no nancial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.