The Perceptions of Hand Hygiene
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are the perceptions of nurses of hand hygiene in acute settings?
IRAS ID
261710
Contact name
Peter Alden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of West London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
Healthcare-associated infections are a significant challenge for modern healthcare. Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures in preventing the transmission of healthcare associated infections (HCAI). However, hand hygiene compliance amongst healthcare professionals tends to be poor and improvement initiatives tend to have limited long-term success. The five ‘moments’ of hand hygiene has been embedded within healthcare and the model tells healthcare professionals when they should wash their hands. Previous research has identified numerous factors that may contribute towards poor compliance, although the research largely preceded the internal five ‘moments’ campaign. The research seeks to a) identify the factors that prompt hand hygiene b) explore whether glove usage affects hand hygiene c) explore how practitioners make sense of the five ‘moments’ d) explore whether practitioners consciously consider the five ‘moments’ when delivering care and e) identify reasons for non-compliance. A qualitative study was proposed, and data will be collected via semi-structured interviews. Registered staff nurses working in an inpatient/acute settings can participate, if they have not had experience of auditing hand hygiene. Participants will be purposively recruited from a single hospital and thematic analysis thematic analysis will be used to develop a description of the phenomenon. The study will ensure that the ethical rights of participants are upheld through the project. The finding of this study may implications for hand hygiene teaching, further research and hand hygiene implementation strategies/toolkits.
REC name
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REC reference
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