INVESTIGATING ADHERENCE TO UNIVERSAL INJECTION SAFETY PROTOCOLS AS MEASURE OF REDUCING NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION AMONG COMMUNITY HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN BAYELSA STATE

Nosocomial infection are infections acquired in a health facility by a patient within 48
hours of visit. Infections that are acquired during admission, but manifest after discharge
and the various occupational infections among health care workers are also categorized
as nosocomial infections. One reliable way of preventing nosocomial infection among
health care workers and even patients is adherence to universal injection safety protocols.
These protocols entail measures aimed at administering injection through a procedure
that is safe for the patients, health personnel and others in the health care setting. This
study assessed the level of adherence to injection safety practices as a measure of reducing
nosocomial infections among community health practitioners in Bayelsa State. It was a
cross-sectional study that was carried out in March, 2021, and was guided by three
research questions and one hypothesis. Two hundred and eighty eight (288) community
health practitioners participated in the study. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used
in selecting the respondents for the study. A self-structured questionnaire titled “Injection
Safety and Prevention of Nosocomial Infection Questionnaire” (ISPNIQ) with a reliability
coefficient of 0.84, was used for the study. Two hundred and eighty eight copies of
questionnaire were administered and 279 copies were returned given a return rate of 96.9
percent. The data collected were coded and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS). Frequency distribution and percentage were used in answering the
research questions while the null hypothesis was tested using chi-squire statistical tool at
0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the level of adherence to injection
safety protocols was inconsistent and it was recommended among others that, there should
be continuous training of community health practitioners on injection safety practices and
regular supervision.