Jordanian nursing students' knowledge of, attitudes towards, and compliance with infection control precautions

Nursing students' noncompliance with infection control precautions has its effects not only on patients, but also on nursing students themselves. Little is known about the actual status of infection control knowledge and compliance among Jordanian nursing students. This correlational descriptive study used a cross-sectional survey design to explore Jordanian nursing students' knowledge of, attitudes toward, and compliance with infection control precautions. The target population was all nursing students at the faculty of nursing University of Jordan. Participants were found to have inadequate knowledge about infection control precautions (M=49.64%), positive attitudes (M=89.8%), and moderate compliance (M=75.91%). Participants' attitudes toward infection control precautions was the only variable that predicts (B=.410, p=0.000) and correlates (r=.51, p<0.01) with their compliance score. Special courses for infection control precautions within nursing schools in Jordan are recommended with special focus on students' attitudes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.