title: Prevention of nosocomial infection and standard precautions: knowledge and source of information among healthcare students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the knowledge of healthcare students after four curricula on infection control and to identify sources of information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four healthcare schools at Rouen University (Rouen, France).
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical students, nursing students, assistant radiologist students, and physiotherapist students taking public health courses.
  
  
  METHODS
  To measure students' knowledge of infection control and their sources of information, 6 multiple-choice questions were asked about 3 specific areas: standard precautions, hand hygiene, and nosocomial infection. Each questionnaire section had 10 possible points, for an overall perfect score of 30. The sources of information for these 3 areas were also recorded: self-learning, practice training in wards, formal training in wards, and teaching during the curriculum. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with acceptable level of knowledge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred fifty students (107 medical students, 78 nursing students, 71 physiotherapist students, and 94 assistant radiologists tudents) were included in the study. The mean overall score (+/- SD) was 21.5 +/- 2.84. Nursing students had a better mean overall score (23.2 +/- 2.35) than did physiotherapist students (21.9 +/- 2.36), medical students (21.1 +/- 2.35), and assistant radiologist students (20.5 +/- 3.04; P.001). The mean scores ( +/- SD) for the component sections of the questionnaire were 8.5 +/- 1.4 for standard precautions, 7.4 +/- 1.26 for hand hygiene,and 5.7 +/- 1.55 for nosocomial infections (P .001). The main source of information was material taught during the curriculum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall score for infection control indicated that instruction was effective; however, knowledge levels were different by area (the best scores were results of tests of standard precautions) and curriculum (nursing students achieved the best overall score). Ward training for daily infection control practice (ie, bedside instructions training and course work) could be improved for healthcare students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France. Marie-Pierre.Tavolacci@churouen.fr
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tavolacci
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ladner
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Merle
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pitrou
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Czernichow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016635:Universal Precautions