Abstract
Introduction: The healthcare professionals’ knowledge about catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) is crucial for effective CAUTI prevention which is a significant portion of the healthcare-associated infections that contributes to complications among hospitalized patients.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge levels of healthcare professionals, specifically nurses and physicians, in the context of urinary catheterization indications and CAUTI prevention.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a structured questionnaire aligned with CDC guidelines in Jordanian hospitals that captured the physicians and Nurses knowledge of urinary catheterization and CAUTI prevention.
Results: The analysis of the data indicates that nurses possess slightly higher knowledge levels compared to physicians. Specifically, in the domain of “Appropriate Urinary Catheter Use,” nurses demonstrated a statistically significant higher mean score than physicians (4.2 ± 0.7 versus 3.8 ± 0.5, t= -2.14, P=0.024). Similarly, nurses attained a statistically higher mean scores than physicians in the domain of “catheter materials” (Mean ± SD=3.2 ± 0.4 versus 2.9 ± 0.3; t=3.2, P=0.002). The domain of “proper techniques for urinary catheter maintenance,” nurses exhibited a statistically non-significant higher mean score than physicians (Mean ± SD=4.3 ± 0.5 versus 4.1 ± 0.4). Moreover, the domains of “appropriate urinary catheter use” and “proper techniques for urinary catheter maintenance” showed commendable understanding among both professions.
Conclusion: This study reveals that while differences exist in knowledge between nurses and physicians regarding urinary catheterization and CAUTI prevention, both professions demonstrate strong competency in key aspects. Collaboration between nurses and physicians, along with the integration of advanced techniques, is recommended for optimal patient outcomes.