The Relationship Between Nurses' Professional Characteristics and Enteral Contamination Level: An Intensive Care Assessment

Background Nutrition is vital for critically ill patients in intensive care, but enteral product contamination poses a risk. This study examines whether intensive care nurses' demographic and professional traits affect contamination levels. This study aims to compare enteral contamination levels based on nursing variables and to explain the underlying reasons for potential differences. Methods This descriptive study was conducted in the intensive care unit of a university hospital in Turkey between September and November 2024. The study included 32 intensive care nurses and samples collected from enteral products prepared by these nurses. The contamination levels of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus sp ., total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, and coliform pathogenic microorganisms in enteral products were examined. The logarithmic values were analyzed in relation to nurses' characteristics using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman correlation test in a statistical software program. Results It was determined that 75% and 100% of the analyzed 32 enteral samples exceeded the US Food and Drug Administration threshold values in terms of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and coliform counts, respectively. Coagulase testing was not performed on Staphylococcus species; therefore, results were reported as Staphylococcus sp. Escherichia coli was detected in three samples (9.37%). No significant differences were found in enteral contamination levels based on nurses' age, gender, education level, years of professional experience, years of intensive care experience, or possession of an intensive care certification. Conclusion This study found that bacterial contamination in enteral products exceeded US Food and Drug Administration limits, indicating hygiene deficiencies. The presence of pathogens like Staphylococcus sp . and Escherichia coli highlights contamination risks. Nurses' characteristics did not affect contamination levels, emphasizing the need for stricter hygiene adherence in enteral nutrition. Relevance to clinical practice This study demonstrates that adherence to hygiene protocols during the preparation of enteral nutrition in intensive care units is critical for patient safety. Although nurses' professional characteristics do not influence contamination levels, the high microbial load indicates systemic deficiencies in practice. This highlights the necessity of standardized hygiene training and monitoring procedures.