Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Hepatitis C Viral Infection at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study aimed to assess nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding Hepatitis C viral infection. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 randomly selected nurses at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bangladesh. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS version 22.0. Descriptive analysis and Pearson Chi-square tests were applied, with a p-value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. The mean age of the participants was 31.8 years, with 54.5% falling within the 23-33 age range and 75.0% being female. Overall, nurses' knowledge about Hepatitis C was satisfactory, with 66.0% of participants scoring between 50-69%. About 74.5% (95% CI: 67-80) of nurses were aware that Hepatitis C could lead to cirrhosis, while 24.0% (95% CI: 18-30) disagreed that Hepatitis C was linked to an increased risk of liver cancer. The study also found that 56.0% (95% CI: 48-62) of participants avoided examining patients diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Additionally, 33.5% (95% CI: 26-40) reported wearing gloves, and 46.5% (95% CI: 39-53) believed that preventive care measures could protect them from infection. Over two-fifths (46.1%) did not frequently worry about acquiring Hepatitis C due to their work, and 2.9% strongly agreed that their profession had a responsibility to treat people infected with Hepatitis C. Age (p=0.002) and educational qualification (p=0.000) were significantly associated with nurses' knowledge and attitudes. The study recommends regular infection control training, adherence to infection control practices, and implementation of preventive measures for all hospital nurses to reduce the risk of Hepatitis C viral infection.