Identification of Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among Nursing Students during Curricular Clinical Internships: An Observational Study

Staphylococcus aureus is considered one of the most frequently isolated bacteria in the community and in the hospital environment, being associated with several infections. Healthcare professionals represent a group vulnerable to Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA colonization, therefore being potential disseminators of these microorganisms during their care activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of S. aureus and MRSA nasal colonization among nursing students over the four years of university attendance, including pre-clinical exposure and at different moments during clinical rotations. Samples were collected from students from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year. The study identified 55.9% MSSA positive samples and 31.4% MRSA positive samples from the total studied population. Simultaneous carriage of MRSA and MSSA was observed in students from all years of the nursing degree, but a highest MSSA colonization (61.5%) was linked to a lower MRSA colonization (30.8%). MRSA colonization seems to be dependent on the type of clinical internship, since the group attending internship in emergency rooms and surgery wards presented a significant increase in the amount of MRSA samples. Nursing students should be educated on the risks involved in carrying S. aureus and MRSA and informed about infection control measures.