Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Resistance among Undergraduate Nursing Students : Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Resistance among Nursing

. Meghraj; Sundar Kumar; Jai Kumar; Asan Dass; Ameet Kumar; Ashok Kumar; Almas Ashraf

doi:10.54393/nrs.v6i2.243

Authors

. Meghraj Department of Nursing, Bhitai College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Mirpurkhas, Pakistan
Sundar Kumar Department of Nursing, Bhitai College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Mirpurkhas, Pakistan
Jai Kumar Department of Nursing, Islamabad Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
Asan Dass Department of Nursing, Pakistan Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ameet Kumar Department of Pakistan Navy Nursing College, Bahria University Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
Ashok Kumar Department of Nursing, College of Nursing Female, Sanghar, Pakistan
Almas Ashraf Department of Nursing, Bhitai College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Mirpurkhas, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/nrs.v6i2.243

Keywords:

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Antibiotic Resistance, Nursing Students, Antibiotic Stewardship

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the serious global health threats of the twenty-first century, driven primarily by inappropriate antibiotic use. Nursing students, as frontline healthcare providers, play a significant role in promoting rational antibiotic use and antimicrobial stewardship. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic resistance among undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was administered among 239 undergraduate nursing students from three nursing institutions in Mirpurkhas, Pakistan. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and proportionate sampling allocation. Data collection was done using a self-structured and self-developed questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic resistance. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 31.0. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis, including the Chi-square and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), were applied to evaluate associations between study variables. A p-value of less than 0.050 was considered statistically significant. Results: The knowledge mean was 3.12 ± 1.19, showing a moderate level of knowledge; the attitude mean score was 19.87 ± 2.72, and the practice mean was 21.87 ± 3.21, indicating that attitude and practice levels were higher than knowledge. Good knowledge was seen in 35.1% of students, whereas 56.9% of students showed positive attitudes and 80.3% of students demonstrated good practices. However, statistical significance was found between gender and practice (p=0.002), with female students exhibiting better practices than male students. Conclusions: As nursing students exhibit moderate knowledge and a relatively higher level of appropriate practices and positive attitudes towards antibiotic resistance, a significant gap was observed between knowledge and practice.

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