A study to determine the knowledge attitude and practice of medical doctors on infection prevention.

Abstract

The study was conducted at School of Nursing Lusaka, Zambia. Aim of the study was to assess the amount of knowledge, attitudes and skills. Third year student nurses had of the concept of Primary Health Care (PHC). The study was also done with a view of discovering areas where knowledge was weak, so that nurse educators can know where to lay more emphasis when teaching Primary Health Care.The literature used in this study was obtained from various sources and most of it was that presented in other countries especially W.H.O. reports and Internation Nursing Review Journals. The literature revealed that teachers teaching P.H.C. found it difficult to interpret the curriculum given to them on PHC. Some literature stated that students failed to interpret what Primary Health Care was because their training took place in the hospital and not in the community setting. The sample was randomly selected from students who were in their final year of training and has had all lectures and practical experiences on PHC. Sample consisted of fifty (50) respondents, all of whom were females. The data collecting instrument used was a questionnaire. This was the most appropriate tool for collecting data since it allowed the reseacher to cover a wide area of the subject under study. The findings of the study revealed that Student Nurses had the knowledge of Primary Health but were not adequately exposed to the practical experiences. This made them develop deficient skills and lacked, a proper understanding of Primary Health Care.