An Educational Program to Improve Nursing Staff Attitudes Toward Preventing Urinary Tract Infections Associated with Catheters in Kirkuk City, Iraq

Background: Urinary tract infections associated with catheters (UTIAC) are among the most prevalent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide. They contribute significantly to increased hospital stays, patient discomfort, elevated healthcare costs, and mortality.
Aim: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program in improving nursing staff attitudes towards preventing UTIAC.
Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre- and post-test design was employed. The study involved purposive sampling of 54 nurses from the respiratory, coronary, and intensive care units at Kirkuk General Hospital. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of two parts: socio-demographic information and an assessment of nurses' attitudes towards UTIAC prevention. The data were gathered from December 2022 to February 2023 and analyzed using SPSS version 22.
Results: The educational program significantly improved nurses' attitudes towards preventing UTIAC, with a statistically significant difference in the overall assessment between the pre- and post-test (p-value = 0.001). No statistical association was found between nurses attitudes and their demographic characteristics.
Conclusion: The study recommends regular training programs, including lectures and workshops based on CDC guidelines, to enhance nurses' attitudes towards UTIAC prevention.