Perspective of health professionals on hand hygiene

Abstract

Objective: To identify the practices reported by health professionals on hand hygiene; To determine how the practices of hand hygiene are related to socio-demographic and professional variables and variables in the context of practice.

Material and methods: A descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study conducted in a hospital in central Portugal, in May and June, 2012. 71 health professionals participated, with 23.9% physicians, 64.8% nurses and 11.3% operating assistants, in paediatrics, neonatology and paediatric emergencies. The majority was female (91.5%) and 32.4% are between the ages of 31 and 40 years. A questionnaire developed from DGS (General Health Directorate) recommendations was applied with questions on socio-demographic and professional characteristics as well as on the context of practice.

Results: The professionals are motivated to perform hand hygiene (98.6%). In self-assessment, they practice hand hygiene appropriately, however the results revealed that 43.7% of subjects reported little knowledge concerning the interference of ornaments on the practice of hand hygiene, 38% of the sample reported the steps of the hand washing technique improperly, and approximately 43% of the sample does not practice hygiene at the correct times. The majority of the participants who use a proper technique are nurses, with significant differences with regards to doctors and operating assistants (P=.001).

Conclusions: Most have knowledge about the practice of hand hygiene; however, some professional groups need to improve their practice of proper technique and the correct time to do so. Approximately a third did not attend specific training, leading us to reflect on the need to invest in training.

Keywords: Hand hygiene; Health care workers (HCW); Health care-associated infection (HCAI).