Safety Practices of Nurses in Preventing Surgical Site Infection Among Post-Operative Patients

The study assessed the safety practices of 34 nurses to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) using a quantitative descriptive–correlational design. Nurses, mostly aged 28–43 years, with a balanced sex distribution, showed strong compliance with core infection-prevention measures, including hand hygiene, aseptic techniques, patient education, waste disposal, and medication adherence. Moderate adherence was observed in early infection reporting, wound assessment, and access to infection-control supplies. Factor analysis identified four dimensions—core practices, workload and staffing constraints, operational preparedness, and clinical support—explaining 75.09% of the variance. Overall, nurses demonstrated high knowledge and competence, but systemic challenges such as staffing shortages, long duty hours, limited training, and insufficient supervision constrained optimal performance. Strengthening workforce conditions, training, and clinical support systems is essential to sustain effective SSI prevention and ensure patient safety.