Abstract:
Knowledge is a crucial aspect of nursing. Nurses, just like any other healthcare workers
(HCWs), are empowered with the knowledge of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Postexposure
Prophylaxis (PEP) protocol to be followed, including post-exposure to blood and body fluids (BBFs).
The utilization of HIV PEP demonstrated its capabilities to prevent HCWs from HIV infections.
However, the practice in healthcare settings remains a challenge, as many HCWs do not adhere to
the protocol. This study investigated how knowledgeable nurses are about HIV PEP in the era of
controlled and stable HIV prevalence. Ninety-four nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire
to provide information. A biostatistician assisted with data analysis, using Microsoft Excel converted
to the STATA 13 format. Most (77.0%) were female with a mean age of 30 ± 9 years. The degree of
knowledge was low, although the results showed that 90.43% of nurses had been informed about
HIV PEP. Eighty (84%) did not know where to access HIV PEP, and (55.32%) were unaware of HIV
PEP guidelines. A comparison between knowledge and work experience revealed that those with
five years and less experience are less knowledgeable. There is a need to improve nurses’ knowledge
of HIV PEP to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition from work-related activities.
