Knowledge of “Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections (2011)”: A survey of intensive care unit nursing staffs in China

Aims and objectivesTo evaluate intensive care unit (ICU) nurses' knowledge of the updated guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections; to identify the factors that affect the nurses' knowledge and to explore the barriers to adherence to evidence-based guidelines in clinical practice in China.MethodsCross-sectional surveys were carried out in Chinese ICUs from January 2013 to March 2014. The nurses' demographic information, knowledge of the guidelines, and barriers to adherence were assessed by a validated questionnaire and then analyzed statistically.ResultsThe questionnaires were completed by 455 ICU nurses from 4 provinces of China. The mean score was 8.17 of 20, and higher scores were significantly associated with province, years of experience, and years of ICU experience. Forty-nine (10.7%) nurses had not heard of the guidelines, whereas 231 (50.7%) nurses heard of the guidelines but did not receive training for them. Trained nurses' scores were higher than untrained nurses' scores. The three main barriers to compliance with the guidelines were an unfamiliarity with them, an excessive workload due to a shortage of nurses, and a lack of training.ConclusionsICU nurses' knowledge of the updated guidelines is quite low, which could be a potential risk factor for patient safety. Multidisciplinary interventions and continuous educational programs are needed to improve the knowledge of and adherence to the guidelines.