Abstract
Background:
Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are essential for reducing healthcare-associated infections and ensuring patient safety. Nurses play a major role in implementing IPC measures; however, resource limitations in tertiary care hospitals may negatively affect compliance with infection prevention guidelines, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. To assess the impact of resource limitations on infection prevention and control practices among nurses working in tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan.
Methods:
A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 175 nurses working in tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan. Participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire adapted from the World Health Organization Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF). The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, IPC practices, and resource limitations using a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation were applied, with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results:
The findings showed that 48.6% of nurses demonstrated good IPC practices, while 43.4% reported moderate practices. More than half of the participants (52.6%) experienced high resource limitations. Staffing shortages (Mean = 3.90 ± 0.55) and inadequate PPE availability (Mean = 3.85 ± 0.60) were the most significant barriers. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between resource limitations and IPC practices (r = -0.52, p = 0.001). Age, education, and experience were significantly associated with IPC practices.
Conclusion:
Resource limitations significantly affect infection prevention and control practices among nurses. Improving staffing, infrastructure, PPE availability, and continuous training is essential to strengthen IPC compliance and enhance patient safety in Pakistani hospitals.