Investigation of the Relationship between Workers' Perceptions and Compliance with Standard Safety Precautions in a Rural Hospital

Abstract

The practice of standard safety precautions in health care facilities is essential for the protection of health care workers from exposure to blood borne pathogens. Understanding the relationships between worker perceptions and behaviors can be central to the success of safety programs in health care facilities. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 174 health care workers who perform injections, venous access or arterial access procedures in a 110-bed facility located in a rural Midwest community. One hundred thirty-one were returned (response rate 75%). A stepwise logistic regression procedure was conducted having job category, gender, job tenure, and previous experience in a metropolitan location as covariates. Findings indicated that three of 15 examined risk factors predicted less than perfect compliance with standard safety precautions. Individuals reporting that they tear off glove fingers, that compliance is difficult, and stating that gloves make finding veins difficult all had significant odds of imperfect compliance.