Korean J Occup Health Nurs.  2016 Feb;25(1):1-8. 10.5807/kjohn.2016.25.1.1.

Infection Control of Hospital Nurses: Cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

• June KJ
• Choi E

• KMID: 2270666
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5807/kjohn.2016.25.1.1

Abstract

PURPOSE
The 2015 Korean Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreaks resulted in 186 cases, with 8% (15 persons) of these being nurses. This study aimed to examine MERS-CoV infection status of clinical nurses and to evaluate perception for infection control.
METHODS
We investigated the MERS-CoV infection status of nurses using MERS-CoV press release data. We examined and analysed perception for Infection control of 121 nurses of the three MERS intensive therapeutic hospitals in July 2015.
RESULTS
One to six nurses per hospital in total 8 health care facilities were infected with MERS-CoV. They mainly had short clinical careers and were unaware of infection possibility. The personal and organizational infection control levels that nurses perceive were low and the relationship between two levels was statistically significant.
CONCLUSION
For promoting health protection and infectious disease management competency of nurses, it is necessary to prepare institutional system for controlling infectious disease.

Keyword

Middle East respiratory syndrome; Hospital; Nurse; Infection control

MeSH Terms

Communicable Diseases
Coronavirus
Delivery of Health Care
Disease Outbreaks
Humans
Infection Control*
Middle East*