Abstract
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common is long-term care facilities. Older adult residents are at increased risk for UTIs due to weakened immunity, immobility, and the wide use of indwelling urinary catheters. Local Problem: There are 691 licensed nursing homes in Florida, and with a high concentration of older adults, UTIs are more common in this population due to their increased vulnerability and the communal nature of long-term care settings. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a targeted educational bundle on UTI prevention in a long-term care facility by increasing staff knowledge and decrease UTIs rates among residents. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to evaluate the impact of a staff education intervention on UTI prevention among residents aged 65 and older in a long-term care facility. The intervention included targeted training sessions on hand hygiene, hydration, catheter care, and infection control practices for registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN, and certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Baseline (pre-intervention) data was collected, followed by implementation of the educational program and post-intervention data collection. Outcomes included changes in staff knowledge and UTI rates. Results: A total of 44 participants completed pre- and post-assessments. Mean knowledge scores increased from 6.93 (SD = 2.20) to 9.70 (SD = 1.09), corresponding to an improvement from 70.2% to 97.3%. This increase was statistically significant (t (43) = 7.70, p <0.001) with a large effect size (d = 1.23). UTI incidence increased from 16 cases pre-intervention to 22 cases post-intervention; however, this change was not statistically significant (χ² = 0.78, p = 0.38). Conclusion: Targeted education significantly improved staff knowledge in UTI prevention. Increased staff awareness likely enhanced recognition and reporting of UTIs, potentially contributing to higher documented rates post-intervention. However, reductions in infection rates may require sustained implementation and ongoing evaluation.