Formal Sessions Research Articles

Caring for patients with a congenital heart defect: a national survey of the educational needs of nurses

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Around 1 in every 130 babies are born with a structural heart defect. Over the past half century, advances in treatment have resulted in increasing numbers surviving with complex disease. Currently, around 90% survive into adult life. In order for these patients to receive a high standard of care throughout their lifespan, it is imperative that nurses are educated appropriately. This is supported by the NHS England Standards (2016), which provides recommendations on minimum staffing levels, but also demands that staff are competent to deliver that care. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the educational needs of nurses who may encounter this group of patients. Methods: A national online survey was undertaken between 4/06/2020 to 06/07/2020. Results: A total of 513 individual survey responses were received from both paediatric and adult nurses and AHPs (representative of an all age service), working in all levels of care. Regardless of where the nurse worked, band 5 nurses reported a higher level of anxiety about caring for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) in comparison to the whole cohort (18% versus 12%). In the previous two years, 30% of the band 5 staff had received no training. Of the band 5s who had received no training, 71% were based in non-CHD settings. Both band 5 nurses and staff of all grades working in non-CHD centres identified managing emergencies (band 5: 77% and non-CHD: 76%), caring for a patient with CHD (band 5: 71% and non-CHD: 72%) and a simple understanding of CHD (band 5: 61% and non-CHD: 67%) as priority topics. Whilst the majority of band 5, and non-CHD centre nurses who had received recent education had undergone a local study day (band 5: 33% and non-CHD: 34%) or self-directed learning (band 5: 38% and non-CHD: 31%), formal or accredited courses were rated most desirable (band 5: 93 and non-CHD: 84%). Conclusion Whilst education within specialist level 1 and 2 centres appears to be well developed and embedded, junior nurses (band 5) and particularly those working in non-cardiac units, appear to be being left behind. Easy access information pertaining to emergency care, alongside simple descriptions of care requirements would benefit those nurses who rarely encounter CHD patients. Digital and other innovative approaches may work well as memory aids and provide a solution alongside formal training. Consideration to including fundamentals of care within the nursing curriculum would potentially provide a base from which nurses can develop. Preferences for accredited, formal study sessions support the need for further development of post graduate education.

Eye-Opening Experiences: Physical Education Teacher Candidates’ Conference Attendance

The benefits of professional conference attendance include acquisition of knowledge and practical ideas, establishment of professional networks, exploration of job opportunities, and staying current). Yet, to date, no study has comprehensively examined physical education teacher candidates’ (TCs) conference attendance at the national level. Using occupational socialization theory, this study examined physical education TCs’ perceptions of their professional conference attendance. Participants included 12 university physical education TCs attending the 2017 Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) National Convention. Data sources included photo- elicitation interviews, participants’ diaries, photographs, and demographic questionnaires. Interview transcripts and diaries were analyzed utilizing open and axial coding. Photographs were analyzed using a reflexive approach combined with methods recognizing the contingency of visual meanings. Results indicated that the majority of formal conference sessions attended by TCs were activity/movement oriented and were selected based upon professor advice and learner interests. Prominent themes of their experience included future focused learning, relationship building, and breaking out of the comfort zone. Overall, conference attendance represents an impactful learning activity, one in which faculty play an important role in shaping TCs’ professional growth. Results indicate the importance of supporting TCs’ continual learning and development as they transition between phases of teacher socialization.

Effect of a hypnosis session before hysterectomy on pre- and postoperative anxiety.

Several studies are in favor of utilizing immediate preoperative hypnosis to prevent perioperative anxiety which increases the risk of postoperative complications [1, 2]. Medical hypnosis is defined by the American Psychological Association as "a state of consciousness including a focus of attention as well as diminished peripheral attention, characterized by an increased ability to respond to a suggestion."[3] To our knowledge, there is no study estimating the effectiveness of preoperative hypnosis on preoperative anxiety when dispensed several days in advance.The objectives of this pilot exploratory study are to describe the feasibility of a formal hypnosis session carried out a few days before a hysterectomy, and to obtain preliminary estimations of its effectiveness.

Assessment of Variation in Care Following Hospital Discharge for Children with Acute Asthma.

PurposeTo evaluate potential variation in care management pathways following hospital discharge for children with asthma in New South Wales, Australia.MethodsA cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in emergency departments (EDs) and paediatric units of public hospitals with more than five paediatric beds within New South Wales, Australia, between July 2018 and March 2019. Nursing and medical staff in EDs and paediatric units who had cared for children aged under 18 years with asthma in the preceding 12 months were invited to participate in this study. Outcome measures included use of clinical practice guidelines and asthma action plan (AAP); advice on post-hospitalization follow-up; provision of asthma education for parents/carers; availability of community-based asthma services; communication with schools/childcare services.ResultsA total of 502 participants (236 nursing and 266 medical staff, response rate=22%) from 37 hospitals were included. Overall, the use of AAP was not universal (median=90%; IQR=81–96%) with significant difference across local health districts (LHDs) (88.6%, 95% CI=85.4–91.3) and between EDs and paediatric wards (p=9.4×10−9); and a range of asthma clinical practice guidelines were used. Post-hospitalization follow-up within 2–3 days was recommended by 70% of the respondents, but only 8% reported that hospitals had a system in place to ensure follow-up compliance. Formal asthma education sessions (27% respondents) were seldom provided to parents/carers during hospital stays, especially in EDs (14% respondents). Less than 50% of the respondents were aware of any asthma community services for children and only 4% reported that schools/childcare services were notified about the child’s hospital admission for an asthma flare up.ConclusionThere are marked variations in the post-hospitalization asthma care and community management for children in NSW. An integrated standardized model of care may improve health outcomes in children with asthma.

Co-morbidity pattern among type-II diabetes mellitus patients attending outpatient department of a rural tertiary care institute of North India

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) describes a group of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood glucose levels. People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing a number of serious life-threatening health problems resulting in higher medical care costs, reduced quality of life and increased mortality. Knowledge of the prevalence about coexisting medical conditions in specific population groups helps healthcare providers and policymakers to allocate health resources efficiently and tailor diabetic care management to effectively utilize healthcare programs while decreasing healthcare expenditure.
 Aims and Objectives: To find out the pattern of comorbidity burden among Type-II diabetes mellitus patients attending outpatient department of a rural tertiary care institute of North India.
 Materials and Methods: Study setting: Outpatient department (OPD) of General Medicine of Rural Tertiary Care Institute in North India. Study design: Descriptive, cross-sectional. Study population: Patients who had already been diagnosed by a physician of having Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and attended OPD for follow-up during study period i.e. 1st November 2019 to 31st January 2020.
 Results: Among 82 study participants, 36 were males and 46 females. A total of sixty-six study participants had co-morbidities along with diabetes mellitus. Most common co-morbidity recorded was related to cardiovascular system and neuropathies. Adherence to treatment was followed by 46 (56%) and dietary advice by 42 (51%) study participants.
 Conclusion: In light of the chronicity of the disease and increasing prevalence of diabetes with associated comorbid conditions, there is a need for clearcut guidelines to address health risks of diabetes with other comorbid conditions. There should be provision for regular formal health education sessions to address co-morbidities, complications due to diabetes.

PEER FEEDBACK ON WRITING SKILLS: PERCEPTIONS OF PAKISTANI ESL POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Peer feedback is considered a reliable method in developing the learner's English language writing skills (Falchikov, 2005; Goldfinch, 2000; Moshontz, & Cooper, 2017; Sanchez, Atkinson, Koenka). It provides a collaborative learning environment, fosters learners’ autonomy and reduces anxiety among students (Phillipson, 2007; Richards& Schmidt, 2010; Stubb, 2013). Nevertheless, the use of peer feedback to improve ESL learners’ writing skills is a multifaceted process and needs pre feedback assistaance. The efficacy of peer feedback depends on a range of factors such as the learning setting, the learner, and the assessment procedure itself (Ossenberg, Henderson, & Mitchell, 2018). Various studies have suggested positive perceptions of peer feedback (Rotsaert, Panadero & Schellens, 2018; Vanderhoven, Raes, Montrieux, Rotsaert & Schellens, 2015). This study aimed to take the perceptions of Pakistani Postgraduate ESL learners’ about peer feedback on their writing skills. Before data collection, four formal feedback training sessions were conducted. This involved the participants who received peer feedback on their writings in the class. Data for this study were collected from fourteen Pakistani postgraduate level ESL students through two semi-structured focus group interviews. Before data collection, tool validation was obtained through self and expert validity procedures. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The transcriptions were shared with the participants before data analysis. Thematic analysis of the collected data was carried out to teach the findings. The findings suggested that collaborative learning environment and peer feedback develop a sense of responsibility, learners’ autonomy, critical and analytical skills in students. The analysis of peer feedback further revealed students’ biases, non-serious attitude and lack of peer feedback skills among the learners.

GP Trainees' perceptions and experiences of the training placement in Psychiatry - A qualitative study

AimsThis qualitative study aims to explore the leaning needs of the GP trainees for their psychiatry placements.MethodIn this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews of eight former GP trainees were conducted. Data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Triangulation through multiple analysts” was used to improve the validity of the studyResultThis study identified six key areas of learning needs for GP trainees during their psychiatry placement. i) the on-call experience which enabled the participants to learn how to manage acutely unwell patients in psychiatry, ii) learning the self-harm and suicidal risk assessment which is an important skill for a GP practising in primary care, iii) training in relation to psychiatric medication which enabled GPs to prescribe more confidently in the community, iv) exposure to the community psychiatry which was helpful in getting exposure to community-based clinical practice, v) learning from formal teaching activities which can be tailored to cover the relevant primary care related clinical topics and finally, vi) getting the opportunity to improve the communications skills during the psychiatry placement which is useful for all doctor in training.ConclusionWe recommend that detailed induction of the service setup is required before GP trainees start on-calls and a well-defined support network should be provided and explained to the training doctors. Risk assessment teaching should be delivered by formal training, regular supervision and discussions. Training on psychiatric medication especially in the context of GP prescribing should be considered as part of formal teaching experience. Opportunities to work with community mental health teams and outpatient clinics should be generated and offered to the trainees. Formal teaching sessions should be set up with an understanding of the GP training curriculum and their learning needs. Improvement of communications skills with exposure to difficult communication scenarios under supervision during psychiatric placement should be identified as an important area of learning for the GP trainees.

Factors Affecting Intention to Use Blended Learning Approach in the Tertiary Level: A Quantitative Approach

The technological innovations greatly influenced the educators’ teaching approaches. From the traditional face-to-face and teacher-centred approaches, most of the educators now shifted to blended learning and more student-centred activities. Many countries are allocating sufficient budget for the technology infrastructure in order to sustain the quality of education particularly in remote areas. This helped many universities to design courses that students can acquire even outside the formal classrooms and regular class sessions or in a blended learning environment. It allows students to access information and communicates with their instructors online. Despite the benefits of the blended-learning approach, many instructors are not motivated to use it because of the amount of time required for preparing materials, checking online submissions and communicating with the students. In the case of a Philippine comprehensive university, the use of blended learning requires additional time on top of the regular class hours. This study examines if instructors are well equipped to use the blended-learning approach and use the technology for storing lecture notes and learning activities. Problems in internet connection and site restrictions prevented the instructors from appreciating online learning. The study suggests that the institutional support should be strengthened in order to provide opportunities for instructors that will help them realize the importance of their role and that of the technology for the success of blended learning.

Large‐scale integration of Virtual Reality‐Enriched Tasks (VRETs) in gross anatomy curriculum during the pandemic

Anatomy has transformed from a standalone discipline to one of the fundamental pillars in an integrated medical curriculum. It is of paramount importance that anatomy is taught with an active learning approach coupled with essential clinical application to help students foster deeper understanding of the knowledge acquired. With the pilot study, VR-enriched tasks (VRETs) were written and they were positively received by the participants. Subsequently, VR technology was officially adopted as a technological learning tool in the gross anatomy curriculum. New VRETs were written to be more clinically oriented to gastrointestinal anatomy and were deployed in conjunction to dissection classes. Face-to-face teaching was still permitted at the University of Hong Kong amid the pandemic, but precautionary measures were stringently observed. Number of students allowed inside the laboratory was limited to a quarter of the usual class size, which equated to about 65 students per session. Due to the nature of VR, students had to pair up where one would put on the VR googles to perform VRETs while the other one gave instructions. Thus, 35 sets of VR devices were deployed to accommodate this class size. Similar to the pilot study, students were given an introductory demonstration and some time to familiarise with the VR interface. This was due to previous feedback on the operational difficulty to novice users. Students were asked to complete two VRETs, with a debriefing session after each VRET. At the end of the class, students were invited to complete the same 7-point Likert scale questionnaire, which aimed to investigate active learning in a technology-enabled environment. 50 students returned a completed questionnaire and 43 reported to have no prior VR experience. 5 items received an average score over 4.5, in which students somewhat agreed that VRETs piqued their curiosity; provided extra support for learning anatomy; helped with deeper understanding of anatomy; motivated them to study and improved the learning experience. Findings were consistent with those from the pilot study. Students who had prior VR experience also scored the above 5 items higher than students without prior VR experience, showing that they generally enjoyed the session more and this was supported by written feedback that stated the steep learning curve for first-time users. VRETs were considered to be good supplement to dissection especially on visualising structures that might have been accidentally removed in dissection. In the contrary, students raised concerns on how they were not receiving timely feedback for their performance and this might explain the overall lower average scores across all items. This was because in the formal VR session the instructor to student group ratio was 1 to 20 whereas in the pilot study it was 1 to 5. In the subsequent sessions, number of teachers and teaching assistants would be increased to help improve the ratio so as to improve the feedback situation. Due to the pandemic, some students attended the VR laboratory before and some after the equivalent dissection classes. Further studies would be conducted to explore the impact of the sequence of learning activity on students’ learning. IRB approval Ref: HKU/HA HKW IRB, Ref: UW 19-277.

Using Videos to Teach Medical Learners How to Address Common Breastfeeding Problems.

IntroductionThough breast milk is the recommended first food, only 84% of mothers try breastfeeding, and 19% of those babies are supplemented with formula by the second day of life. Mothers often fall short of their breastfeeding goals, which has been traced in part to primary care physicians’ discomfort and lack of confidence in assisting breastfeeding mothers. A video-based educational intervention was developed to enhance learner comfort and confidence in supporting breastfeeding.MethodsPrior to watching the videos, two separate groups of learners (25 primary care residents and 40 medical students) were given two assessments to assess their baseline knowledge and self-perceived comfort and confidence with breastfeeding based on the American Academy of Pediatrics residency breastfeeding curriculum. We gave the learners a checklist to guide their observations while watching the videos. The learners repeated the assessments after watching the videos.ResultsStudents who participated showed a statistically significant increase in breastfeeding knowledge and self-perceived comfort and confidence in assisting mothers with common breastfeeding problems. Additionally, residents increased their knowledge and confidence, but not their comfort with breastfeeding.DiscussionThe videos seem to have been most helpful in assisting learners with confidence with helping breastfeeding mothers and knowledge of breastfeeding. The videos also improved student comfort but were less effective in increasing residents’ comfort as residents generally self-rated their comfort level as high preceding the video curriculum. These videos provide an effective way to begin sensitizing learners to the importance of breastfeeding, common challenges, and potential solutions for new mothers.

Publication Ethics: Awareness Knowledge among Medical Faculties

Publication ethics is related with ethical aspects of publication of scientific data to ensure high qualityscientific publication in the current era of evidence-based medicine. Violation of publication ethics alsoknown as scientific misconduct may be committed by researchers knowingly and unknowingly due to variousreasons. Present study inducted 130 medical faculties from a medical college providing self-administeredquestionnaire regarding awareness about publication ethics using Google forms. Among those 94 facultiesresponded and 75% of the faculties were in favor of gift authorship and did not perceive it as a misconduct.83% of the faculties were aware that violation of publication ethics would affect career of all the involvedauthors. Almost 56% believed that falsification or fabrication of data is acceptable and 58% faculties felt itacceptable to split the results of a study and publish it separately. Considering the lack of awareness amongmedical faculties scientific misconduct, it is recommended that a formal educational session of publicationethics is necessary

Levering adult learning principles into a residency core curriculum.

Levering adult learning principles into a residency core curriculum.

Reining in Nasogastric Tubes: Implementation of a Pediatric Bridle Program

Nasogastric tubes (NG) used for enteral nutrition support of medically complex children (MCC) are often inadvertently removed, risking frequent replacements. Bridles have been shown to provide a safe securement method for NGs in adult patients, but are not widely used in pediatrics. Furthermore, nutritional management of MCC is often fragmented. We established a pediatric NG bridle program to bridge the gap amongst disciplines and improve patient outcomes. In January 2018, a multidisciplinary work group involving nurses, physicians, clinical dietitians, advanced practice providers, and speech-language pathologists was established to develop criteria for patient referral and policies, procedures, and order sets for nutritional management of MCC children with bridled NG tubes. Formal teaching sessions engaged clinicians and administrators to participate in building a successful program. Relevant outcomes of interest are tracked continuously for process performance improvement measures and are reviewed quarterly by the core work group. Patient enrollment began in May 2018 and to date, 244 patients have been enrolled. Adhering to strict enrollment criteria, competency modules and review of patient status provided a solid core for the program and process review. Successful implementation of an NG Bridle program was achieved. Outcomes of interest continue to be monitored for process improvement. Balancing measures are also being tracked for potential downstream effects.

Utilizing passive sensing data to provide personalized psychological care in low-resource settings.

Background: With the growing ubiquity of smartphones and wearable devices, there is an increased potential of collecting passive sensing data in mobile health. Passive data such as physical activity, Global Positioning System (GPS), interpersonal proximity, and audio recordingscan provide valuable insight into the lives of individuals. In mental health, these insights can illuminate behavioral patterns, creating exciting opportunities for mental health service providers and their clients to support pattern recognition and problem identification outside of formal sessions. In the Sensing Technologies for Maternal Depression Treatment in Low Resource Settings (StandStrong) project, our aim was to build an mHealth application to facilitate the delivery of psychological treatments by lay counselors caring for adolescent mothers with depression in Nepal. Methods: This paper describes the development of the StandStrong platform comprising the StandStrong Counselor application, and a cloud-based processing system, which can incorporate any tool that generates passive sensing data. We developed the StandStrong Counselor application that visualized passively collected GPS, proximity, and activity data. In the app, GPS data displays as heat maps, proximity data as charts showing the mother and child together or apart, and mothers' activities as activity charts. Lay counselors can use the StandStrong application during counseling sessions to discuss mothers' behavioral patterns and clinical progress over the course of a five-week counseling intervention. Achievement Awards based on collected data can also be automatically generated and sent to mothers. Additionally, messages can be sent from counselors to mother's personal phones through the StandStrong platform. Discussion: The StandStrong platform has the potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of psychological services delivered by non-specialists in diverse global settings.

Utilizing passive sensing data to provide personalized psychological care in low-resource settings

Background: With the growing ubiquity of smartphones and wearable devices, there is an increased potential of collecting passive sensing data in mobile health. Passive data such as physical activity, Global Positioning System (GPS), interpersonal proximity, and audio recordings can provide valuable insight into the lives of individuals. In mental health, these insights can illuminate behavioral patterns, creating exciting opportunities for mental health service providers and their clients to support pattern recognition and problem identification outside of formal sessions. In the Sensing Technologies for Maternal Depression Treatment in Low Resource Settings (StandStrong) project, our aim was to build an mHealth application to facilitate the delivery of psychological treatments by lay counselors caring for adolescent mothers with depression in Nepal. Methods: This paper describes the development of the StandStrong platform comprising the StandStrong Counselor application, and a cloud-based processing system, which can incorporate any tool that generates passive sensing data. We developed the StandStrong Counselor application that visualized passively collected GPS, proximity, and activity data. In the app, GPS data displays as heat maps, proximity data as charts showing the mother and child together or apart, and mothers’ activities as activity charts. Lay counselors can use the StandStrong application during counseling sessions to discuss mothers’ behavioral patterns and clinical progress over the course of a five-week counseling intervention. Achievement Awards based on collected data can also be automatically generated and sent to mothers. Additionally, messages can be sent from counselors to mother’s personal phones through the StandStrong platform. Discussion: The StandStrong platform has the potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of psychological services delivered by non-specialists in diverse global settings.

What’s New in Hand and Wrist Surgery

What’s New in Hand and Wrist Surgery

Midterm Outcomes and Satisfaction After Hip Arthroscopy Are Associated With Postoperative Rehabilitation Factors.

Background:Arthroscopic hip-preservation surgery is commonly performed to address nonarthritic sources of hip pain in young, active individuals. However, there is little evidence to support postoperative rehabilitation protocols, including the most appropriate frequency and length of individual formal physical therapy sessions. There is also a lack of information to look at patients’ perceived value of their home program/self-practice in relation to outcomes.Purpose:To investigate postoperative rehabilitation factors after hip arthroscopy related to formal physical therapy and home program/self-practice and their correlation with patient outcomes and satisfaction.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A total of 125 patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and a labral tear (75 men) were included. The mean age was 34.6 ± 14.4 years, and the mean follow-up time was 4.9 ± 1.6 years. Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living subscale (HOS-ADL) scores, overall satisfaction scores, and factors related to supervised physical therapy and home program/self-practice were collected. Correlations between continuous variables and differences in the length of individual formal physical therapy and patients’ rating of the importance of their home program/self-practice between those who would and those who would not undergo surgery again were assessed.Results:The frequency and length of individual formal physical therapy sessions were significantly correlated with postoperative HOS-ADL scores (r = 0.22, P = .014; and r = 0.24, P = .007, respectively) and level of satisfaction (r = 0.24, P = .007; and r = 0.21, P = .02, respectively). The length of individual formal physical therapy sessions was significantly greater in those who noted they would undergo surgery again (35.3 vs 26.3; P = .033). A significant correlation was identified between the rating of the importance of their home program/self-practice and postoperative HOS-ADL scores (r = 0.29; P = .001) and their level of satisfaction (r = 0.23; P = .009). There was a significant difference in the rating of the importance of their home program/self-practice between those who would undergo surgery again and those who would not (8.9 vs 7.8; P = .007).Conclusion:Surgeons and physical therapists should emphasize the value of home program/self-practice when it comes to outcomes and may want to encourage their patients to participate in more frequent, longer, formal physical therapy sessions.

Exploring reasons to attend formal teaching sessions among students: A self-determination theory perspective

Among students in higher education, attending formal teaching sessions might be important not only for academic achievement but also to foster human values. Despite this, the low and declining attendance rate is a growing concern in higher education. This study aimed to explore what students believe teachers could do to facilitate attendance at formal teaching sessions in the physical education part of the teacher education program in Sweden. Three focus group interviews were conducted among students aged 20 to 35 who attended the teacher education programme. The self-determination theory was used as a theoretical framework, and data were analysed and categorised using qualitative content analysis. The analysis of the interviews formed an overarching theme that intersected with four categories. The results show that teachers might facilitate attendance during formal teaching sessions by providing opportunities for students to interact with each other; match challenges with skills; be engaged, enthusiastic, and caring; and outline the value and rationale. The study’s implications for teachers are discussed in the paper.

Informal near-peer teaching in medical education: A scoping review.

Near-peer teaching (NPT) has a longstanding history within medical education. While it is becoming increasingly recognized within medical curricula, its beginnings can be traced back to informal teaching among medical students. Informal NPT such as this is still commonplace. However, it is often overlooked within the literature and has remained hidden from the scrutiny of evidence-based education. There has been minimal research conducted surrounding NPT outside of formal teaching sessions. A scoping PubMed search was conducted after identifying appropriate search terms. Directly relevant and high quality articles were included. Within this scoping review, we discuss the potential benefits and shortfalls of such teaching. Benefits include the opportunity for tutors to consolidate their own learning while contributing to the medical school community. Their learners benefit from the opportunity for small group learning focused on a relevant level of knowledge. However, shortfalls include the lack of prerequites, lack of content monitoring, and lack of resources. These should be considered when discussing the efficacy of this teaching. We also explore the wider culture of this informal NPT within medical education. We hope to promote further thought into this area, considering how guidance can be given to support both the near-peer teachers and their learners.

To Study the Awareness about Universal Health Precautions among Nursing Professionals in a Medical College Hospital of India.

Background:The universal health-care precautions (UHP) aim at preventing health-care workers contact with blood and other body fluids by performing various infection control practices such as handwashing, wearing gloves and mask, safe disposal of infectious waste, and safe cleansing of used instruments.Objective:The study was conducted to assess the knowledge and awareness among nursing professionals regarding UHPs.Methodology:It was a cross-sectional study done on nursing professionals across all seniority and from various specialties including superspecialties. A pretested questionnaire consisting of 25 questions was used as a study tool.Results:There were a total of 550 respondents. The mean knowledge score of the respondents was 17.31 (range: 6–24). The mean score was 69.25% of the total achievable score. In the subgroup analysis, respondents above 60 years of age, married, females, urban residents, and nursing sisters scored better than the middle-aged professionals, unmarried, males, rural residents, and staff nurses.Conclusion:The study concludes important clues for further research and interventions. As the nursing professionals are learning about UHP from practical exposure rather than formal teaching, it is pertinent to address this issue through well-planned formal sessions of training workshops and lecture discussions.