Knowledge and Practice of Nurses Regarding Prevention of Surgical Site Infections in Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain one of the most preventable postoperative complications and are strongly influenced by nurses’ adherence to evidence-based perioperative and postoperative infection-prevention practices. Despite their central clinical role, substantial variation exists in nurses’ SSI-related knowledge and practice across low- and middle-income settings, and limited data are available from major tertiary hospitals in Pakistan. Objective: To assess the levels of knowledge and practice regarding SSI prevention among nurses in a large tertiary care hospital in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and to examine associations with demographic and professional characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 210 registered nurses with ≥6 months clinical experience at Ayub Teaching Hospital. Data were collected using the validated Individual Knowledge and Practice Questionnaire, consisting of a 20-item knowledge scale and a 25-item practice scale. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, while Pearson correlation and group comparison tests (α = 0.05) examined associations between demographic variables and knowledge and practice scores. Results: Most nurses demonstrated good knowledge (61.4%) and good practice (60.5%) regarding SSI prevention. Knowledge declined significantly with increasing experience (r = –0.202, p = 0.003) and age (p = 0.025), whereas practice improved with experience (r = 0.148, p = 0.032). No significant associations were observed for gender, qualification, or department (all p > 0.14). Conclusion: Nurses exhibited generally strong practice adherence but variable knowledge, with clear divergence across experience levels. Continuous education programs, curriculum updates, and structured in-service training are needed to strengthen knowledge retention and support consistent, guideline-based SSI-prevention practices.