Global Health & Medicine 2025;7(4):329-333.

Knowledge gaps in antimicrobial stewardship in a Japanese hospital: A cross-sectional study highlighting the need for role-specific education for nurses and administrative staff

Shimodaira T, Machida M, Nakamura I, Kuwata H, Hara S, Watanabe H, Takeuchi H

Knowledge gaps pertaining to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) among different hospital professions can hinder program effectiveness. This study aimed to identify and comparatively analyze AMS knowledge levels at a Japanese hospital. We conducted a cross-sectional, internet-based survey of all hospital employees (n = 2,703) to assess their knowledge of the antimicrobial stewardship team (AST) and programs (ASPs). The survey response rate was 48.4% (1,307 of 2,703). Significantly lower proportions of nurses and administrative staff than medical doctors and pharmacists knew about the AST and ASPs (p < 0.001). Critically, a significantly lower proportion of nurses (62.5%) than medical doctors (97.4%) (p < 0.001) was aware of the importance of sample collection for bacterial cultivation before antibiotic administration. These findings reveal significant role-specific knowledge gaps and strongly suggest that educational interventions targeting nurses and administrative staff are needed for promoting hospital-wide ASPs and ensuring their effective implementation.

DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2025.01071

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