Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Surgical Technologists Regarding the Sterile Techniques Principles Observance in the Operating Room Wards of Hospitals Affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2019

The sterile technique is the basis of modern surgery. Therefore, sterile technique observance is required by the surgical team to preserve patient safety and prevent surgical site infection. This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of Surgical Technologists Regarding the Sterile Techniques principles observance in the operating room.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 198 surgical technologists working in hospitals affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2019. Surgical technologists were selected by stratified random sampling. Data collection was performed using the researcher-made questionnaire for the measurement of knowledge, attitude and practice of surgical technologists regarding the Sterile Techniques. The data was analyzed using SPSS software and applying descriptive statistics, Chi-square and t-test.

The mean scores of knowledge, attitude and practice of surgical technologists regarding the sterile techniques, were 35.7±5.8, 28.3±3.7 and 38.7±6.5 respectively. The score of knowledge and practice was moderate and the score of attitude was good. Findings showed that there was a significant difference between knowledge and practice score with educational level and The mean score of knowledge and practice was significantly higher in the participants with bachelor’s degree as compared to the participants with associate degree(p<0.05).

According to the results, it seems necessary to promote knowledge and practice of the surgical team members by implementation of training programs, encouraging staff to upgrade their education and continuing to evaluate their knowledge and practice regarding the sterile techniques.