Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Differences Regarding Infection Prevention and Control among HealthCare Workers in Dr. Soetomo Hospital

Abstract

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major challenge in hospital services and contribute significantly to increased morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and healthcare costs. Effective implementation of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs requires adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and proper practices among healthcare workers. RSUD Dr. Soetomo, as a tertiary referral and teaching hospital, involves residents, medical students, and nurses in daily patient care activities, making IPC compliance essential for patient safety. Objective: This study aimed to analyze differences in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding Infection Prevention and Control among residents (PPDS), medical students (DM), and nurses working in the surgical inpatient wards of RSUD Dr. Soetomo. Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted involving 231 respondents consisting of 80 residents, 45 medical students, and 106 nurses. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire adapted from World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) IPC guidelines. Descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney test. Results: Overall, respondents demonstrated very good knowledge, positive attitudes, and very good practices regarding IPC. There significant differences in knowledge were observed among the three respondent groups (p = 0.000), with residents and nurses demonstrating higher knowledge levels than medical students. No significant differences were found in attitude (p = 0.786) and practice (p = 0.087). Conclusion: Significant differences existed only in knowledge regarding IPC among residents, medical students, and nurses. Attitudes and practices similar across the groups.