Factors influencing nurses' compliance with Standard Precautions in order to avoid occupational exposure to microorganisms: A focus group study

A focus group approach was used to explore the issue under study. Four focus groups (N = 30) were organised to elicit nurses' perception of the factors that influence their compliance with Standard Precautions. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as the theoretical framework and the data were analysed according to predetermined criteria.Following content analysis, factors that influence nurses' compliance emerged. Most factors could be applied to one of the main domains of the HBM: benefits, barriers, severity, susceptibility, cues to action, and self-efficacy.Changing current behavior requires knowledge of the factors that may influence nurses' compliance with Standard Precautions. This knowledge will facilitate in the implementation of programs and preventive actions that contribute in avoiding of occupational exposure.Health care professionals and particularly nurses are often exposed to microorganisms, many of which can cause serious or even lethal infections [1-3]. In 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the Standard Precautions, a set of guidelines to prevent exposure [4], but unfortunately, despite the simplicity and clarity of these guidelines, compliance among nurses is reported low [5-8]. Although high incidence of occupational exposure to microorganisms is observed among all health care professionals [9-11], nurses are among those who are more highly exposed [12]. Therefore it is ethical to explore the factors that affect nurses' compliance with Standard Precautions.Occupational exposure can occur in different modes. These modes include contact (direct and indirect) transmission, droplet transmission, airborne transmission, percutaneous exposure and mucus membranes exposure. Many pathogens may share more than one [4,13].In 1970, the first set of preventive guidelines was issued by the CDC to help health care professionals protect themselves and patients from the transmission of microorganisms, followed by a revision in 1983