An Agreement Among Nurse Educators on Infection Prevention and Control Practices to Ensure Safe Clinical Training Post-COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices during nursing students' clinical training are based on standardized precautions. However, the spread of COVID-19 raised the need to revise these practices. We aimed in this study to assess nurse educators' agreement on items that represent precautionary guidelines, which enhance safety during clinical training of students. It aimed to reach an agreement among nurse educators on IPC practices to ensure safe clinical training.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive explorative, cross-sectional study included 243 Jordanian and Omani educators. The study questionnaire was based mainly on evidence reported in the literature. The study questionnaire comprised items for trainers to practice and items to supervise students. It was developed based on available evidence and recommended training practices during COVID-19 suggested by the WHO and the literature. Both the face and content validity processes were adopted to validate the study questionnaire. The final version was composed of 26 items for trainers and 20 items for students subsumed in the following themes: protecting self, protecting others, and essential training needs.

RESULTS: All questionnaire items were rated above the midpoint indicating agreement among participants on including the new IPC practices. All suggested practices (26 items for the trainers and 20 items for the students) were supported by the study participants.

CONCLUSIONS: Clinical training is an important component of nursing students' preparation. Findings suggest the importance of adding new IPC practices to improve student IPC practices, protect themselves and others, minimize cross-infections, and enhance students' training within a safe clinical environment.