Somathi Anandan

Faculty medicine and health science (School of Nursing), UCSI University, Malaysia

Abstract Title:

Knowledge and Compliance with Standard Precautions Among Nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Biography:

Ms. Somathi Anandan is a Neonatal Specialist Nurse and Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Nursing, UCSI University, Malaysia. She holds a Master's Degree in Quality Management, SIRIM Malaysia Certified Quality Auditor, and serves as a SIRIM Associate Auditor for Quality Management System (QMS) audits at the District Health Office (DHO), Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).
With over 20 years of NICU clinical experience and five years in nursing education, she specializes in neonatal care, infection prevention and control, patient safety, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice. She is actively involved in NICU service development and is committed to advancing nursing practice through clinical governance and healthcare quality management

Research Interests:

Background: Standard precautions (SPs) are foundational to prevent healthcare-associated infections, especially in high-risk and vulnerable areas such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Ensuring nurses possess strong knowledge and consistently comply with SPs is crucial for improving patient safety and infection control outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and compliance with SPs among NICU nurses at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Jeddah, and to determine the relationship between these variables. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 70 NICU nurses. Data collection utilized a validated questionnaire adapted from previous studies. Descriptive statistics were used to determine knowledge and compliance levels, while inferential statistics evaluated the correlation between knowledge and practice. Results: Nurses demonstrated high knowledge of SPs with an overall mean score of 84.36%. Strong understanding was noted in hand hygiene and glove usage. However, minor gaps were identified regarding the protective purpose of SPs and the requirement for hand hygiene after glove removal. Compliance with SPs was also high (92.19%), with strong adherence to hand hygiene and glove use during high-risk procedures. Lower compliance was observed in the management of post-sharps injury protocols. A significant positive correlation was identified between knowledge and compliance, indicating that better knowledge contributes to improved adherence to infection control practices. Conclusion: NICU nurses at KAMC exhibit strong infection control performance supported by effective training and organizational culture. Addressing identified knowledge and compliance gaps through targeted education may further enhance safety standards and optimize infection prevention practices in neonatal settings.