Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Bedside Nurses regarding Antimicrobial Stewardship in China: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Aim. To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese bedside nurses regarding antimicrobial stewardship, as well as to identify factors that influence nurses’ engagement in antimicrobial stewardship. Background. Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing global health threat. Antimicrobial stewardship is crucial in combating this issue. Nurses play a key role in implementing antimicrobial stewardship. However, little is known about the involvement of Chinese nurses in antimicrobial stewardship. Methods. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. A self-developed questionnaire was administered between March and August 2021 (N = 463), followed by semi-structured interviews with 17 nurses between March and July 2022. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used to analyze the data. Results. The study found that nurses scored 75% in knowledge, 82.8% in attitude, and 84.1% in practice domains. There was a moderate correlation between nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices. It revealed that knowing local antimicrobial stewardship programmes information and the frequency of receiving antimicrobial stewardship training had a significant impact on nurses’ knowledge scores. The willingness to participate in related training influenced nurses’ attitude scores. Being a clinical teacher and the frequency of receiving related training influenced nurses’ practice scores. The qualitative phase identified three themes: insufficient knowledge of nurses’ engagement, diverse attitudes towards engagement, and limited scopes and absence of standards in nurses’ participation. Conclusions. Our findings emphasize the importance of enhancing nurses’ perception and involvement in antimicrobial stewardship. While nurses exhibit positive attitudes and practices, addressing the existing knowledge gap is crucial. To achieve this, it is necessary to clarify the role and responsibilities of nurses in antimicrobial stewardship, provide regular training and innovative methods, strengthen communication and collaboration, and foster a positive work environment. Additionally, actively promoting the development of guidelines and evaluation criteria will enable nurses to more effectively participate. Implications for Nursing Management. Regular training of nurses in antimicrobial stewardship needs to be enhanced. Nursing managers should strive to create positive, empowering, and supportive work environments, participate in policy formulation and implementation, and provide clear expectations for nurses’ engagement in antimicrobial stewardship.