The participants in the survey had an average age of 38.29 ± 9.217 years, with an age range of 21 to 66 years. In terms of gender distribution, the results revealed that 10.65% were male, while 89.35% were female. Regarding professional positions, 28.84% were heads of Infection Control Departments, and 71.16% were staff members. Concerning professional titles, 44.39% held junior positions, 27.94% held intermediate positions, 16.48% held associate senior positions, and 11.20% held senior positions. Work experience varied, with 17.28% having ≤ 3 years, 10.42% having 3–6 years, 11.20% having 7–10 years, and 61.12% having ≥ 10 years. The participants had diverse professional backgrounds: 18.54% in clinical medicine, 61.01% in nursing, 12.13% in public health, 3.43% in preventive medicine, 1.49% in pharmacy, 3.09% in clinical laboratory science, and 0.34% in other fields. Educational backgrounds included 36.84% with diploma and below, 60.03% with a bachelor’s degree, and 3.09% with a master’s degree or higher. Regarding the duration of engagement in infection prevention and control work, 58.05% had ≤ 3 years, 19.33% had 3–6 years, 11.68% had 7–10 years, and 11.00% had ≥ 10 years. About participation in professional training during infection control work, 32.02% participated, while 67.98% did not. Lastly, with respect to hospital levels, 5.27% were from level 1 hospitals, 65.82% from level 2 hospitals, and 28.91% from level 3 hospitals (as shown in Table 1).
According to Table 2, the overall performance of core competencies among healthcare infection prevention and control professionals is as follows: IPC Project Management and Leadership received an average score of 15.92 ± 5.259, Architectural Environment of Medical Institutions scored 11.66 ± 3.647, Basic Microbiology scored 4.333 ± 1.435, Prevention of Antibiotic Resistance scored 8.671 ± 2.809, Monitoring Healthcare-Associated Infections scored 11.29 ± 3.60, Standard Precautions scored 9.992 ± 3.285, Transmission-Based Precautions scored 9.695 ± 3.110, Cleaning and Reprocessing of Medical Devices scored 7.561 ± 2.406, Prevention of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections scored 11.36 ± 4.172, Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections scored 9.663 ± 3.181, Prevention of Surgical Site Infections scored 11.32 ± 4.025, Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia scored 11.24 ± 3.864, Prevention and Management of Healthcare-Associated Infection Outbreaks scored 4.790 ± 1.586, IPC Education and Training scored 6.351 ± 2.352, Quality and Patient Safety scored 6.454 ± 2.351, and Occupational Health scored 7.373 ± 2.332.
Gender differences in core competencies among healthcare professionals in infection prevention and control (IPC) were examined (Table 3). While no significant disparities were noted in several domains, notable variations surfaced. IPC Project Management and Leadership revealed a significant difference (p = 0.0126), favoring females (16.09 ± 5.249) over males (14.43 ± 5.069). Standard Precautions (p = 0.0374) and Transmission-Based Precautions (p = 0.0213) also favored females. Cleaning and Reprocessing of Medical Devices exhibited a significant gender gap (p < 0.0001). Females demonstrated higher scores in Prevention of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections (p = 0.0047), Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (p < 0.0001), Prevention of Surgical Site Infections (p = 0.0003), and Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia (p = 0.0013). IPC Education and Training (p = 0.0256), Quality and Patient Safety (p = 0.0485), and Occupational Health (p = 0.0359) also favored females. These findings underline gender-specific variations in IPC competencies, suggesting tailored training approaches for enhanced professional development.
Differences in core competencies across various job titles among healthcare professionals in infection prevention and control (IPC) were investigated (Table 4). Striking disparities emerged, highlighting the impact of job titles on competencies. All domains exhibited significant differences between Junior and Senior Associate positions (p < 0.0001). Senior Associates consistently outperformed their Junior counterparts. IPC Project Management and Leadership demonstrated a notable distinction. Similarly, the Architectural Environment of Healthcare Institutions, Basic Microbiology, Prevention of Antibiotic Resistance, Monitoring Healthcare-Associated Infections, Standard Precautions, Transmission-Based Precautions, Cleaning and Reprocessing of Medical Devices and Equipment, Prevention of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections, Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Prevention of Surgical Site Infections, Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia, Prevention and Management of Healthcare-Associated Infection Outbreaks, IPC Education and Training, Quality and Patient Safety, and Occupational Health all displayed significant differences favoring Senior Associates. These findings underscore the influence of job titles on the acquisition and application of IPC core competencies, emphasizing the need for targeted training and professional development programs tailored to specific job roles.
Educational levels’ impact on the proficiency of infection prevention and control (IPC) core competencies among healthcare professionals was assessed, revealing significant differences (Table 5). Across all domains, individuals with a Bachelor’s degree and above consistently exhibited higher mean scores compared to those with a diploma and below (p < 0.05). These findings emphasize the positive association between higher educational attainment and enhanced proficiency in IPC core competencies, underscoring the importance of educational qualifications in shaping competency levels among healthcare professionals.
The impact of years of work experience on the proficiency of infection prevention and control (IPC) core competencies among healthcare professionals was explored, revealing substantial differences (Table 6). For each core competency, individuals with more than 6 years of work experience consistently demonstrated higher mean scores compared to those with 6 years and below (p < 0.0001). These findings underscore the positive association between longer professional experience and heightened proficiency in IPC core competencies, emphasizing the importance of accumulated work experience in shaping competency levels among healthcare professionals.
According to the results in Table 7, we found that all core competencies were higher among individuals with over 3 years of experience in infection prevention and control work compared to those with 3 years or less of experience. This trend was observed across various aspects ofIPC, including IPC project management and leadership, healthcare facility environment, basic microbiology, prevention of antimicrobial resistance, surveillance of healthcare-associated infections, standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, cleaning and reprocessing of medical devices, prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections, prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, prevention of surgical site infections, prevention of healthcare-associated pneumonia, prevention and management of healthcare-associated infection outbreaks, IPC education and training, quality and patient safety, and occupational health. These findings indicate that experienced professionals in infection prevention and control demonstrate higher scores across all core competencies, highlighting their proficiency in various aspects of IPC work.
The influence of participation in further education on the proficiency of infection prevention and control (IPC) core competencies was examined, highlighting significant differences across competencies (Table 8). Individuals who engaged in further education exhibited consistently higher mean scores compared to those who did not participate (p < 0.0001) across all core competencies. These findings underscore the positive association between active participation in further education and enhanced proficiency in IPC core competencies, emphasizing the importance of ongoing educational initiatives in maintaining and improving professional competency levels among healthcare practitioners.
The investigation into variations in infection prevention and control (IPC) core competencies based on hospital level (Table 9) revealed significant differences across diverse competencies. In Level 1 and 2 Hospitals compared to Level 3 Hospitals, there were notable distinctions (p < 0.05) in IPC Project Management and Leadership, Healthcare Facility Environment, Basic Microbiology, Prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance, Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections, Standard Precautions, Transmission-Based Precautions, Prevention of Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections, Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Prevention of Surgical Site Infections, Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia, Prevention and Management of Healthcare-Associated Infection Outbreaks, IPC Education and Training, Quality and Patient Safety, and Occupational Health. This underscores the impact of hospital level on the proficiency of healthcare practitioners in various IPC core competencies. These findings can inform targeted interventions and educational programs tailored to specific hospital settings, contributing to a more effective and contextually relevant enhancement of IPC skills and knowledge.
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