Hand hygiene: nurses' adherence after training

• Published in: Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem Vol. 71; no. 3; pp. 1189 - 1193
• Main Authors: Graveto, João Manuel Garcia do Nascimento, Rebola, Rita Isabel Figueira, Fernandes, Elisabete Amado, Costa, Paulo Jorge Dos Santos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem 01-05-2018
• Subjects: Control de Infecciones; Desarrollo del Personal; Disease control; Education, Nursing, Continuing - methods; Enfermeras y Enfermeros; Guideline Adherence - standards; Hand Hygiene - methods; Hand Hygiene - standards; Health care; Higiene de las Manos; Humans; Hygiene; Infección; Infection Control - methods; Infection Control - standards; Internet; Medical personnel; Nosocomial infections; Nurse's Role; Nurses; Nurses - psychology; Nurses - standards; Nursing; Pediatrics; Prevention; Systematic review; Switzerland
• ISSN: 0034-7167; 1984-0446; 1984-0446
• DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0239

Hand hygiene plays a key role in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. Therefore, this study aims to analyze nurses' adherence to hand hygiene and identify intervention strategies to improve this procedure.
Integrative literature review, using the Cochrane methodology, to answer the following question: "What is the level of effectiveness of training in improving nurses' adherence to hand hygiene?".
Studies show that nurses' adherence to hand hygiene has increased from 42.9% to 61.4% (p<0.001), or even from 63% to 76% (p<0.005) after a specific training intervention.
After training, nurses' adherence to hand hygiene improved, particularly when compared to the other professionals involved. Despite its simplicity, the implementation of a training program and its subsequent follow-up have a positive on nurses' attitudes and adherence to hand hygiene.