Evaluation of the level of knowledge of nurses about the methods used insurgical site cleaning before the operation

Objective: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge of nurses about the methods used in surgical site cleaning before the operation in order to prevent postoperative surgical site infections. Material and Method: The study data were obtained between May 6th, 2019 and May 17th, 2019 with interviews made with 87 nurses working in the Operating Room, Intensive Care, Surgical Services and Internal Services departments of private hospitals affiliated to a foundation university. After obtaining institutional permission and ethics committee approval, data were collected by a questionnaire prepared by the researcher and analyzed statistically. Results: Of the nurses, 80% was female, 19.5% was male and the mean age was 26.45± 5.988. Of the nurses, 33.3% was married and 66.7% was single. When we examine the distribution according to the educational level of the nurses, 18.4% was vocational school of health, 14.9% had an associate degree, 60.9% had a bachelor's degree, and 5.7% was postgraduate. The levels of knowledge of nurses regarding the preoperative surgical site cleaning were not found to be statistically significant in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics, occupational characteristics, and site preparation characteristics. Conclusion: In order to have more knowledgeable nurses regarding preoperative site cleaning, it is recommended to plan seminars, trainings and courses in universities for surgical site cleaning