KNOWLEDGE AND SCABIES PATIENT MANAGEMENT AMONG NURSING STAFF WORKING AT LONG-TERM CARE INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH KOREA: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Sook Young Yun1, Hak Sun Yu2 and Dong-Hee Kim1

Abstract

Nursing staff are at risk of contracting scabies infestation and thereby become sources of scabies transmission. In order to develop effective strategies to eliminate scabies, level of knowledge regarding scabies and its transmission and management were determined using a questionnaire among nursing staff at 15 long-term care facilities in three cities of South Korea during August-September 2018. Each participant was asked to fill out a questionnaire asking about scabies knowledge and the management of patients with scabies. Participants (n = 214) were 97% females, 48 ± 10 (mean ±SD) years of age (range = 20-67 years), 49% registered nurses, 39% nursing assistants and 12% care workers. Results of the questionnaire showed a knowledge score of 18 ± 4 (mean ± SD) (possible score range = 0-28) and 54% of participants stated they isolated a patient with scabies in a private room, 62% used medical devices specific for that patient and 59% treated waste from a scabies patient separately from other patients, 55% restricted visitors of scabies patients, and 54% provided information regarding scabies to patients, family members and care givers. These findings revealed a significant proportion of healthcare participants had an inadequate knowledge on scabies, its management and appropriate nursing care of scabies patients. An education program on scabies and its management needs to be developed and evaluated among nursing staff of long-term care facilities to allow improvement of program methodology and content so that the prevalence of scabies infestation in long-term care facilities in the country can be reduced and controlled.