Summary
Zeigheimat et al.’s article evaluates the health belief model’s role in developing specific behaviors to prevent nosocomial infections. The reason for the interest is the paucity of knowledge about the issue among patients. Hospital-acquired infections are illnesses that emerge 48 hours after a patient is admitted and were not present during admission (Zeigheimat et al., 2016). The rise of resistant germs has been a growing concern in recent years, making it harder for medical personnel to control.
Methodology
The authors conducted a quasi-experimental study using a pre- and post-test design and a control group. The study’s participants were 135 nurses from two facilities in Mashhad, Iran (Zeigheimat et al., 2016). The researchers selected an army hospital as the study site to better analyze the intervention outcomes. Data were gathered using a seven-part self-administered questionnaire (Zeigheimat et al., 2016).
The intervention group received four 45-minute instructional programs, delivered individually and collectively (Zeigheimat et al., 2016). After a two-month hiatus, a post-test was conducted to assess any differences. Following the intervention, the authors found a strong link between knowledge (P = 0.001), perceived danger (P = 0.004), advantages (P = 0.001), and practice (P = 0.001) in the experimental groups (Zeigheimat et al., 2016). In the pre-intervention phase, the most common signals to action were connected to university and apprenticeship training.
Findings
The researchers concluded that health belief model (HBM) education can indeed improve nursing knowledge and perceived benefits. Furthermore, it may minimize false obstacles to HH control among nurses. The study’s hypothesis that training within the HBM constructs successfully impacts health behaviors, specifically reducing NI, was confirmed (Zeigheimat et al., 2016). According to the study’s findings, training nurses in HBM increases their knowledge, awareness of dangers, perceived advantages, and perceived obstacles, and may enhance their NI prevention and control strategies (Zeigheimat et al., 2016). Thus, enhanced knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs are among the outcomes of this study in the context of the HBM concept.
Reflection
I learned about the prevalence of NIs globally and specifically in the context of Iran. The statistics presented, such as the annual occurrence, mortality rates, and associated costs, highlight the severity of the issue. I also found out about the significant role that nurses play in infection control. Strategies such as taking preventive measures, isolating infected patients, and applying precautions are ways in which healthcare assistants can contribute to preventing NIs. Additionally, I finally managed to gain an understanding of the Health Belief Model and its application in the context of healthcare behaviors related to nosocomial infections.
Reference
Zeigheimat, F., Ebadi, A., Rahmati-Najarkolaei, F., & Ghadamgahi, F. (2016). An investigation into the effect of health belief model-based education on healthcare behaviors of nursing staff in controlling nosocomial infections. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 5(23).
