Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses towards Prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Introduction: The present study assessed the knowledge and attitude of nurses toward prevention of antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 nursing staffs in Bir Hospital. A structured google form questionnaire with multiple choice questions (MCQ) and 5-point Likert scale with a good validity and reliability (α =0.85) was used. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16 and interpreted in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Nurses in this study exhibited moderate knowledge (56.6%) of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) prevention and a predominantly poor attitude (84.2%) toward it. Notably, none of the nurses reported having received any formal training on AMR prevention. There was no significant association between nurses’ knowledge and attitude (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: The study reveals a critical gap in the preparedness of nursing staff to address the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. The complete absence of formal training among the nurses is a primary concern, as it likely contributes to these suboptimal knowledge and attitude scores. Furthermore, the lack of a significant association indicates that simply providing information may not be enough to change professional behavior or mindsets.