Health care workers who had the highest risk of COVID-19 exposure during the height of the pandemic were also the most likely to self-report nonadherence to infection prevention measures, according to a study published Thursday in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers, analyzing survey responses from 191 health care workers at the University of North Carolina Medical Center between July 2020 and January 2021, concluded that new efforts are needed to enhance workplace infection prevention precautions and protect staff against dangerous pathogen exposure.
Among the study’s findings were that adherence to personal protective equipment guidelines varied by job role and that hand hygiene was the infection precaution most often performed incorrectly.
Researchers also found that repetitive job tasks and increased work demands during the pandemic may have contributed to PPE nonadherence.
The study urges increased workplace training and education for health care employees during public health emergencies.