Current Status and Issues of Learning Norovirus Infection Control of the Three Types of Staff Members Who Work at Special Elderly Nursing Home

Abstract

In this study, we aim to investigate the infection control measures taken against norovirus (NV) infection in special elderly nursing homes, status of three different professions in learning and practicing NV infection control measures in these homes, and related educational challenges. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 705 nurses, certified care workers, and nursing care staff working in 235 randomly selected special nursing homes across Japan from June to August 2017. Responses from 368 participants (52.2%) were included in the analysis. Internal (85.3%) and external trainings (53.8%), as well as internet (46.5%), were the most common sources of knowledge regarding the control measures. Most participants (84.8%) had attended NV infection control workshops, consisting of teaching the safe handling of vomit and feces to prevent contamination (84.2%), basic knowledge of NV infection (83.4%), proper hand hygiene (78.5%), appropriate use of personal protective equipment and procedure to wear and remove it (64.7%), environmental disinfection (53.3%), and educating residents and visitors regarding the prevention of spread of infection (37.2%). Nursing care staff had significantly lower understand-ing than nurses or certified care workers regarding NV infection control measures that were taught in the workshops and practiced in the nursing home facility, indicating a gap in the learning status. In addition, there was divergence in the content of the workshops, suggesting inter-facility differences in the educational content regarding the control measures. Thus, support for learning regarding NV infection control measures tailored to the needs of individual special nursing homes and the professions working in these homes remains a challenge.