Antimicrobial resistance: Nurse’s knowledge and perception in a tertiary level care hospital in North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Nursing staff has a significant role to play in the control of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through infection control and patient education. We studied the knowledge of nurses on AMR for purpose of planning AMR control efforts. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 21st June and 30th July 2017, among nurses working at Federal Medical Center Nguru, Yobe State. Responses were presented as frequencies and percentages. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were computed to describe factors associated with knowledge of AMR. Only 37.2% of the respondents had good knowledge of AMR. Age more than or equal to 40 years versus less than 40 years (RR=2.66, 95% CI: 1.253-5.662), work experience greater than or equal to 10 years versus less than 10 years (RR=2.94, 95% CI: 1.518-5.686) predicted good knowledge of AMR. A significant knowledge gap on AMR among nurses has been identified. We recommend a robust AMR awareness initiative to educate nursing staff on AMR. Further studies among other cadre of healthcare workers should be conducted to define and address the AMR knowledge gap among all Nigerian healthcare workforces.