Abstract

Health-care providers are at major high-risk for contracting blood-borne infections during the
discharge of their duties. Universal precautions framed into daily operation procedures at health-care facilities
will probably increase percentage of compliance, which will transit to minimal occurrence of infection(s). This
study aimed at assessing information, motivation and behavioural skills of nurses as predictors of utilization of
universal precautions among nurses in health facilities in Sagamu, Ogun state, Nigeria.
A cross sectional design was adopted for this study, and all-inclusive sampling technique was used to enroll two
hundred and nine qualified nurses from the total population of nurses from health facilities in the study location.
Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 41-items on demographic
characteristics, information on universal precautions, motivation towards utilization of universal precautions,
behavioural-skills to utilize universal precautions and adherence practice of universal precautions. Frequency,
correlation and regression analysis were conducted to give statistical responses to the research question and
hypothesis using the SPSS v21.
The mean age of participants was 38.09 ± 10.47years. The females (93.3%) were more than males (6.7%).
Majority (80.4%) of the participants were Yorubas while 14.4%, 0.5% were Igbos and Hausas respectively and
4.8?longed to the other ethnic groups. Although 66.0% of the participants were married, 26.6%, 2.4%,
4.8% and 0.5% were single, separated, widowed and divorced respectively. The least qualification of
participants was Registered Nurses (23.4%) and the highest qualification was Master’s Degree in nursing
(1.9%). The highest occupational level of participants was Director of Nursing Services (0.5%) while the least
was Nursing Officers I (27.8%). Among participants, 24.9% had worked less than 5years and 13.9% had
practiced nursing more than 25years.Participants had a mean score of 10.31± 2.09 in level of information on
utilization of universal precautions measured on a 13-point rating scale, 31.93±5.12 in level of motivation to
utilize universal precautions measured on a 45-point rating scale, 12.44±2.06 in level of behavioural-skills to
utilize universal precautions measured on a 15-point rating scale and 9.86±2.62 in level of adherence practice
of universal precautions measured on a 15-point rating scale. The relationship between information and
adherence was insignificant (R=0.068; R2=0.005; P>0.05). There was a relationship between motivation and
adherence practice of universal precautions (R=0.274; R2=0.075; P?0.05), and behavioural-skills predicted
the adherence practice of universal precautions (R=0.563; R2=0.317; P?0.000). Adherence practice of
universal precaution was common among nurses with more years (20-25years) of working experience (11.83;
95% CI: 10.66-12.99).
In conclusion the study addressed various issues on non-compliance to universal precautions among nurses. It
is recommended that activities should be geared towards improving the behavioural-skills of the nurses.
Training and retraining will improve the nurses’ knowledge through adequate information on safe handling of
all equipment, and necessary provision of kits to utilize universal precautions.