Anonymous questionnaire survey on the knowledge and practices of hospital staff in infection control

We carried out an anonymous questionnaire survey to assess the extent to which hospital medical and nursing staff were familiar with the written policies and procedures of infection control and their intended course of action in situations where no formal policies were available. All 25 full-time medical staff below the grade of consultant and 70 of 163 permanent nursing staff caring for inpatients at one day shift were sampled. Nineteen (76%) medical and 56 (80%) nursing staff returned their copies. Nurses were significantly more familiar with all written policies and procedures than medical staff. They were also more likely to seek advice in situations where there were no written guidelines. Many hospital staff were uncertain about the practical details of policies and procedures for infection control. Ways to educate and motivate staff to comply with infection control measures are urgently required; some degree of national standardization of policies and procedures in infection control is desirable.