Abstract:
Background: Culture tests perform a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of the
infective diseases. The practices of nurses and health care staff have a greater impact on
proper culture sample collection in order to avoid contamination, reduce errors and harmful
events.
Objectives: To assess practices of nurses on specimen collection for bacteriological
cultures.
Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out involving 73 nurses
working in medical, surgical and paediatric wards and special care units at Teaching
Hospital Karapitiya. Blood, urine (from catheterized and non-catheterized patients) and
wound swab collection procedures were observed and assessed in 20, 20, 20 and 13 nurses
respectively using check lists. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20.
Results and conclusions: Just above 1/3 of (40%) participants followed 10 or more steps
(out of 14 steps) correctly in the blood culture collection procedure. Regarding urine culture
collection 95% (n= 19) nurses instructed patients to obtain mid stream sample and all the
nurses were able to select the correct container. When collecting catheter urine samples
75% (n=15) followed more than 6 out of 8 steps correctly and 95% (n=19) of the time sterile
gloves were used. About 52% (n=7) participants removed surgical exudate with sterile
normal saline and 92.3% (n=12) participants practiced surgical hand washing before
collecting wound swabs for culture. In overall, the practices of nurses on specimen
collection for bacteriological cultures are good. There are some aspects still to be improved.
