CURRENT STATUS OF COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARD PRECAUTIONS AND BARRIERS TO COMPLIANCE AMONG HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS
Keywords:
compliance, standard precaution, barrier, health science studentsAbstract
Objective: To describe current compliance with standard precautions and barriers to compliance among health sciences students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 312 students majoring in Medicine, Nursing, and Rehabilitation at Danang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy. Data were collected using the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale and the Barriers to Compliance with Standard Precautions questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: The overall compliance rate was 63.3% (mean score 12.65 ± 3.43), indicating a moderate level of compliance. Low compliance was found for not recapping needles after use (1.6%), disposing of sharps containers before they are full (14.1%), and hand hygiene with appropriate products (27.2%). The mean perceived barrier score was 25.15 ± 9.21. Common barriers included lack of equipment, time pressure during patient care, and discomfort when using personal protective equipment. Conclusion: Students showed a moderate level of compliance with standard precautions, with notable gaps in needle handling and hand hygiene. Strengthening education and clinical supervision, along with ensuring adequate resources, is recommended to reduce barriers and improve compliance.
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