Factors Affecting Student Nurses’ Adherence to Standard Precautions for Preventing Tuberculosis and HIV at Eswatini University

The prevention of Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) has become an increasing challenge throughout the world. Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are among the infections that student nurses are at risk of acquiring during their clinical practice in the healthcare setting. One of the most essential measures used to control HAIs is the application of standard precautions. However, student nurses have been found to not adhere to the standard precautions for the prevention of TB and HIV when allocated for clinical practice in the Eswatini healthcare setting.

This study aimed to assess factors affecting student nurses’ adherence to standard precautions.

A non-experimental quantitative approach was used to conduct a survey on senior student nurses of Eswatini University using the questionnaires. The total population of third-, fourth-, and fifth-year students was selected through the census sampling method. Statistical Package for Social Science version 26 software was used to analyze the data.

Factors influencing compliance with standard precautions for the prevention of TB and HIV have been categorized into the availability of resources, measures taken by student nurses, hospital support role, and university support role.

The researchers recommend that TB and HIV prevention skills be demonstrated to student nurses in the skills laboratory and that clinical facilitators should accompany students in the clinical area. In the hospitals, ordering and monitoring of supplies should be done well to eliminate the shortage of resources, and preceptors should be exempted from other duties so that they can be able to supervise student nurses.