Infection control and patient safety measures addressed in nursing pedagogical projects

Abstract

Objective: To characterize teaching about patient safety and standard precautionary measures for infection prevention and control in undergraduate nursing courses. Method: A descriptive documentary analysis study carried out in undergraduate courses, with a concept equal to or greater than three in the National Student Performance Exam and in the Preliminary Course Concept, located in the state of Goiás, Brazil. Results: Six education institutions participated, with the majority being private with curricular structure by discipline. Six pedagogical projects and 273 subject plans were analyzed. The most discussed topics for patient safety development were human factors related to communication, interpersonal relationships, and principles and techniques. Thirty-nine (39) disciplines contemplated teaching infection prevention and control measures, and the most approached topics were personal protective equipment and hand hygiene. Conclusion: Teaching about patient safety presented strong gaps in the six evaluated courses. There is fragility in teaching infection prevention and control measures. The data indicate the need to review the Course Pedagogical Projects in order to incorporate necessary educational demands for training professionals so that they develop safe and quality care.