TY - CPAPER
AU - Smith, J
AU - Ness, Valerie
AU - KC, Deepti
PY - 2025
DA - January
TI - Challenges faced by nurses in implementing infection prevention and control guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from Nepal
DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-025-01610-w
AB - Introduction: In Nepal, infection prevention and control (IPC) efforts have evolved from basic sanitation guidelines in the 1980s to policies for diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. However, COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in IPC, highlighting the need for standardised IPC guidelines across healthcare settings. Objectives: Explore the experiences of Nepalese nurses in implementing IPC guidelines during COVID-19 using behavioural change frameworks. Methods: This study employed a qualitative design, guided by Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. Online interviews were conducted with 12 registered nurses from Nepal. Nepali transcripts were translated into English using a forward-backward translation method. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, supported by NVivo software. Results: Five key themes emerged from the data analysis. Theme 1, ‘Adapting to Evolving Guidelines’, highlighted the challenges nurses faced due to the lack of national IPC guidelines and the reliance on international guidelines during COVID-19, which were impractical in low-resource settings like Nepal. Theme 2, ‘Journey Through the Pandemic Psyche’, explored the emotional and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses’ ability to implement IPC guidelines. Theme 3, ‘Confidence in IPC Practices’, emphasised the importance of nurses’ knowledge, skills, and training in the implementation of IPC guidelines. Theme 4, ‘Organisational Influence’, stressed how leadership and infrastructure changes during the pandemic influenced adherence to IPC guidelines. Finally, Theme 5, ‘Beyond COVID19’, focused on how IPC practices evolved post-pandemic. These themes aligned with 11 of the 14 TDF domains. All components of the COM-B model, Capability (psychological), Opportunity (physical and social), and Motivation (reflective and automatic), influenced the implementation of IPC guidelines among nurses. Conclusion: This study provides a theoretical understanding of how behavioural, organisational, and environmental factors influenced the capability, opportunity, and motivation of nurses in Nepal to implement IPC guidelines. The findings offer a foundation for developing tailored IPC interventions in resource-limited settings, aiming to improve preparedness for future outbreaks or pandemics.
PB - BMC
UR - https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/en/publications/f32fa6a5-c91b-4872-a1ce-135feec49424
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER