Purpose: This study aimed to identify the relationship of perceived and actual performance regarding glove use, knowledge of glove use, and organizational culture concerning infection control in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.
Methods: Data were collected through a self-reported survey and direct observation conducted between August 16 and October 6, 2020. Subjects included 98 ICU nurses providing direct patient care. A total of 61 self-reported surveys and 183 direct observations of nurses wearing gloves were analyzed.
An instrument designed by the researcher was used to assess the self perceived performance score regarding glove use, knowledge of glove use, and actual performance score of glove use. To assess organizational culture concerning infection control, a tool created by Park (2015) and modified by Moon (2018) was administered. SPSS statistical software, version 25.0, was used to analyze the collected data using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis.
Results: The results of this study arm summarized as follows.
1. The average age of the subjects was 27.38±5.07 years. The average length of nurses' clinical experience was 47.3±53.42 months. There were 17 nurse specialists in internal medicine ICU (27.9%), 20 from surgical ICU (32.8%), 14 from neurological ICU (23.0%), 6 from cardiovascular ICU (9.8%), and four clinical nurse specialists in critical care (6.5%). A total of 24 nurses had received education on the use of gloves (39.3%). Among nurses with previous education, the average number of education sessions they received was 0.64±1.7.
2. The self perceived performance score of glove use among ICU nurses was 3.48 3.48±0.27 out of 4. The self-perceived performance score of glove use according to different situations was 3.54±0.29 out of 4. The score on knowledge of glove use on average was 96%. The score on organizational culture regarding infection control on average was 3.00±0.42. The actual performance score of glove use was 68.9%. Out of 183 direct observations of glove use use, nurses wore gloves 126 times and the average performance rate of g love use was 72%. The actual performance score of glove use varied from 0% to 97.6% with large differences between categories.
3. Statistically significant differences were found between patient severity (t=2.502, p=.015) and general characteristics of ICU nurses in determining the performance rate of glove use. Organizational culture on infection control had a statistically positive correlation with the self-perceived performance score of glove use (r=0.377, p =〈0.003) and the actual performance score of glove use (r=0.291, p =〈0.023). There were no statistically significant differences between the knowledge of glove use and self-perceived and actual performance score of glove use
Conclusions: In conclusion, education and training on wearing gloves are necessary to improve the performance rate of glove use among ICU nurses. In addition, a healthy and positive organizational culture on infection control should be established within the healthcare organization. This study is meaningful as it assessed and analyzed ICU nurses performance regarding glove use using direct observations and self-reported surveys.