Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a primary cause of illness and death and increased expenditure due to prolonged hospitalization and poor prognosis. HAI is a global safety concern, according to World Health Organization (WHO). This study assesses the current level of knowledge and perception regarding hospital infection control practices among nursing students and evaluates the impact of structured training interventions on their baseline knowledge and perception level. METHODS AND MATERIALS: It was a single group, a pre-post interventional study done on nursing students of one government and one private nursing college in the year 2021. A pretested questionnaire consisting of was used as a study tool. Various statistical tests like one repeated-measure ANOVA, Mauchly's Test of Sphericity, and Greenhouse-Geisser correction were used. RESULTS: The mean knowledge was minimum in the pretest group (Mean = 79.4430, SD = 17.49746) and maximum immediately after the training group (Mean = 96.5443, SD = 25.42322). But after one month, knowledge decreased; however, it was more than pre-training Knowledge (Mean = 84.4937, SD = 22.40313). CONCLUSIONS: Annual educational/training modules help retain knowledge in hospital infection control practices and HAI prevention. All healthcare workers need regular training.