Background: Improving patient safety, reducing and preventing central line –related
infection especially in the intensive care unit are now a priority for hospitals. Therefore;
nurses play an integral role in preventing infections. Aim of the study is to develop < br />guidelines for prevention of central line infection and examine the effect of implementation of
those guidelines on the nurses' knowledge and practice. Setting: The present study was
conducted in intensive care unit of New Surgical Hospital affiliated to Zagazig University
Hospitals. Sample: The study sample was included 40 nurses who are working in the above
mentioned setting. Tools: Two tools were used for data collection which includes
questionnaire sheet and observational checklist. Results: The study results revealed that prior
to guidelines implementation; majority of nurses had unsatisfactory knowledge score and
practice. In post guidelines, the findings pointed out to significant improvement. There was a
statistically significant correlation between knowledge and practice score. Conclusion:
Nurses' knowledge and practice improve after implementation of the guidelines for prevention
of central line infection. Recommendations: Provision of continuous education and
guidelines for prevention of central line infection, all needed equipment and supplies and
further studies to examine the impact of guideline on patients' outcomes are required.