INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL PRACTICES AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN TERTIARY HEALTH FACILITIES IN OWERRI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, IMO STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated infection prevention and control practices among workers in
tertiary healthcare facilities in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, Nigeria. Two
research objectives with corresponding two research objectives guided the study. The
study adopted a descriptive cross- sectional survey research design. The population for
the study comprised all the 820 nurses in Federal Medical Centre, Owerri as this is the
only tertiary healthcare facility in the council. The sample size was 200 nurses drawn
using simple random sampling techniques of balloting without replacement and
convenience sampling technique. A validated questionnaire titled Infection Prevention and
Control Practices Questionnaires (IPCPQ) was used as the instrument for data collection.
Descriptive statistics frequency and percentage were used to answer and analyze the
research questions respectively. Results showed that nurses at the Federal Medical
Center, Owerri had poor (42.9% and 44.4%) primary and secondary infection prevention
practices respectively. Researchers recommended among others that hospital
administration should provide hand -washing basins at strategies points in each ward to
promote hygiene, also medical screening and examination should be free for nurses on
duty, especially those on emergency and infection wards; and personal protective
equipment should be provide for nurses by the government.