Factors associated with low influenza vaccination rate among American University of Beirut Medical Center registered nurses -

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends healthcare personnel to receive the influenza vaccine annually since this measure improves patient outcomes, reduces absenteeism, and reduces influenza infection among staff. Yet, influenza vaccination rate among healthcare workers mainly among nurses is still low.This study aims to assess the influenza vaccination status among AUBMC RNs, find out the factors associated with the low rate, and propose interventions to enhance it. A cross-sectional study of 210 RNs with direct patient contact was conducted in April 2014. RNs filled a self-administered questionnaire that included items questioning about demographic data, influenza vaccination status, reasons for not receiving the influenza vaccine, knowledge and beliefs about influenza and influenza vaccination, and evaluation of the influenza vaccination activities provided at AUBMC. The rate of nurses who took the vaccine in the sample was computed using descriptive statistics. Univariate and bivariate logistic regression models were carried out to study the unadjusted and adjusted associations between the dependent variable “reception of influenza vaccine” and the set of independent variables. Results of the study revealed that the influenza vaccination rate among AUBMC RNs from this sample was 21.4percent. In the unadjusted logistic regression analysis, intention (p= 0.00), total knowledge (p= 0.026), and total evaluation (p= 0.038) were significantly associated with the reception of the influenza vaccine. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, we considered two logistic regression models for the dependent variable “reception of the vaccine”. Only intention remained significantly associated with the reception of the influenza vaccine. Findings of this study showed that RNs’ knowledge at AUBMC about influenza and about the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in preventing influenza was associated with the uptake of the vaccine. Raising this knowledge would eradicate