A study to assess knowledge, attitude and practice regarding diagnosis and management of tuberculosis among nursing staff in tertiary care hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

Abstract

Background

Numerous studies have previously been conducted on the management of tuberculosis by healthcare

workers. Given that nurses interact with patients frequently in the course of their work, it is also important to

look at their knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Future studies may take into account additional aspects of

tuberculosis patient care, such as knowledge and approaches for managing patients of multidrug-resistant

pathogens including tuberculosis. A report from the WHO has emphasized the importance of educational

strategies to equip healthcare workers with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes which will lead to

adequate infection control practices and thus reduce the disease burden of TB.

Methods

For this cross-sectional study, offline survey was conducted among 182 nursing staff members of Sir T General

Hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat. A validated self-administered questionnaire comprising five sections (socio

demography, work-related information, knowledge, attitude, and practice) was used for data collection.

Result

155 (84%) out of a total of 182 participants had good knowledge, 129 (70%) had a positive attitude and 77

(42%) had good practice around tuberculosis prevention. Study reveals that only 58% of participants had

provided a surgical mask to a patient with cough Approx. 25% of respondents didn’t know the role of private

practitioners in the treatment of tuberculosis. Every nine out of ten participants thought to increase awareness

regarding tuberculosis in the hospital campus.

Conclusion

The findings of the study reveal that nursing staff of the hospital had an overall good knowledge and a positive

attitude regarding Tuberculosis prevention. However, this knowledge does not explain the cause of TB

therefore it leads to disparities between knowledge and practice. To overcome this problem effective

educational programmes should be implemented.