Knowledge Management-Based Nursing Care Educational Training: A Key Strategy to Improve Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention Behavior

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge management-based nursing care has a positive effect in preventing healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Therefore, nursing professionals can utilize key strategies of knowledge management to support clinical decision making, reorganize nursing actions, and maximize patient outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of knowledge management-based nursing care educational training on HAI prevention behavior at the High Care Unit (HCU) of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang. METHODS: A quasiexperimental design with a pretest, educational training intervention, and posttest were conducted on 15 nurses in the HCU of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang, which lasted for 16 days. Furthermore, observation of nursing care documentation, nurses’ handwashing compliance, and presence of infection-causing bacteria in the HCU staff and environment (hands rub handle, medical record, and patient's bed) was carried out pre (day 1–7) and post training (day 10–16). Subsequently, educational training related to knowledge management-based nursing care was conducted for 2 days (day 8–9) by the Doktor Mengabdi Team of Universitas Brawijaya. RESULTS: The knowledge level and completeness of the nursing care documentation in the HCU room significantly increased after the training (p < .05). Also, compliance to the six steps five moments of nurses’ handwashing increased after the training (p > .05). Infection-causing bacteria were found in the HCU environment and staff before and after the training involving Pseudomonas stutzeri, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pasteurella pneumotropica, and Acinetobacter lwoffii. Therefore, increased knowledge of HCU nurses and complete documentation (r = .890; p = .054), increased knowledge of HCU nurses and handwashing compliance (r = .770; p = .086), and handwashing compliance and bacterial presence (r = .816; p = .084) all had a positive correlation. CONCLUSION: Knowledge management-based nursing care educational training increased infection prevention behavior in the HCU of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang.