J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs.  2007 Aug;14(3):297-305.

A Comparative Study on Profession-specific Handwashing Practices of ICU Health Care Providers

Affiliations
  • 1Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Korea. mm9294@hanmail.net
  • 2College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and compliance regarding hand hygiene according to the profession of ICU health care providers. METHOD: Data were collected by questionnaires and by recording of direct observations of 143 health care providers in 4 intensive care units. Wth SPSS/WIN 12.0 t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square-test were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
The level of knowledge regarding handwashing among the nurses was higher and a more positive attitude was shown compared to physicians. Overall handwashing compliance was low among all ICU health care providers, but nurses had better compliance than any other health care providers and significantly higher frequency for handwashing before care and after care activities. All of professions had lower scores on the appropriate length of time for handwashing and areas that need to be scrubbed. The level for nurses was medium and for physicians, the lowest of all professions. The appropriate agent for handwashing and the method of drying for handwashing compliance was high in all professions.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that multidisciplinary interventions are needed to develop an environment for appropriate handwashing as well as to reinforce importance of handwashing compliance for health care providers.

Keyword

Handwashing; Health care providers

MeSH Terms

Compliance
Delivery of Health Care*
Hand Disinfection*
Hand Hygiene
Health Personnel*
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Questionnaires
Full Text Links
  • JKAFN
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr