Hand hygiene in undergraduate nursing education in Alberta

Abstract

Nursing students must be prepared to demonstrate professional accountability and safe practice. Hand hygiene, a core skill and leading measure in the prevention of health care-associated infections, is a vital component of patient safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the methods and frequency used to teach and assess hand hygiene during nursing education and students’ hand hygiene knowledge, beliefs, and practices, with the goal of providing information useful to nursing educators. Using a cross-sectional survey, data were collected from 285 senior nursing students from three universities in Alberta. The results indicated that although participants received frequent education on HH, there were gaps in their knowledge and practices. Assessment of hand hygiene was found to be inconsistent. The frequency of assessment was associated with positive beliefs, and positive beliefs were associated with higher rates of hand hygiene. Recommendations for nursing education were offered.