Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of nursing students regarding hand hygiene in Western region of Nepal

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are thought to be transmitted by the hands of health care workers (HCWs). Reducing HAIs requires that HCWs take responsibility for ensuring that hand hygiene becomes an everyday part of patient care. This study was conducted with objectives of assessing the level of Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding hand hygiene among nursing students in the Western Region of Nepal.

Materials & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing students posted in different wards of two hospitals of Pokhara. A self administered questionnaire containing different set of questions regarding knowledge, attitude and practice on hand hygiene were used for data collection.

Results: A total of 99% of the participants reported that they were acquainted with the WHO recommended steps of hand washing. The knowledge on hand hygiene was moderate (84%) among the total study population. Knowledge regarding the minimum time needed for alcohol based hand rub (20 sec) was known correctly by only 24% of the participants. A total of 90% of the participants had positive attitude towards hand-hygiene. A total of 29% of the correspondents believed that they had not been properly instructed in hand hygiene during their practice, 56% of the participants exhibited good practice regarding hand hygiene and 91% realized that the presence of an infection prevention team would have positive influences on their hand hygiene practices.

Conclusion: Moderate knowledge among majority of the nursing students reflected upon their positive attitude and practice regarding hand hygiene among them. Essentially, most of the nursing students considered hand hygiene as an essential part of their role. Improvement of accessibility to hand hygiene facilities would play an important role to improve the compliance to hand-hygiene in current practice.