Effects of Using the Blood Culture Clinical Practice Guideline among Personnel at Chulabhorn Hospital, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

This one-group pretest–posttest experimental study aimed to evaluate the effects of implementing a blood culture collection practice guideline at Chulabhorn Hospital, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. The study compared personnel knowledge, blood culture contamination rates, and satisfaction with the guideline. All 26 registered nurses in the nursing department were included in the study was conducted from November 2023 to January 2024. Data collection instruments included a demographic form, a knowledge assessment on blood culture collection, a satisfaction questionnaire, and laboratory-reported blood culture results. Content validity was confirmed by three experts, and the reliability of the knowledge and satisfaction instruments demonstrated Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.90. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics, including paired t-test and Fisher’s exact test. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. The results showed that the mean knowledge score after implementation was significantly higher than before implementation (= 12.1 ± 1.7 vs. = 14.7 ± 0.7; t = −7.5, p-value < 0.001). The blood culture contamination rate decreased from 5.7% (5/87 samples) to 0% (0/78 samples), with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.039). Overall satisfaction with the guideline was high ( = 4.8 ± 0.3). The findings indicate that implementing the guideline, together with training and supervision, effectively improved personnel knowledge, reduced contamination rates, and enhanced patient safety. The guideline should be integrated into routine practice and developed into a continuous quality monitoring system within healthcare settings.