Nosocomial infections are acquired in health care settings and they can lead to catastrophic health care consequences for patients. These infections can also pose significant financial burdens on society and health care systems. Educating nurses on hand hygiene is essential to reducing infection rates. The research question for the study examined the effectiveness of hand hygiene among nurses in reduction of nosocomial infections and how can health care organizations develop educational strategies to reduce nosocomial infections to improve public confidence in health care systems. The purpose of this study was to educate nurses on how to reduce the incidence of nosocomial infections. The evidence-based practice model for this project was Florence Nightingale's environmental theory. The health belief model was used to identify the reasons for health care culture and how they inspire change. In this study, 2 licensed practical nurses and 2 registered nurses were educated on how to reduce nosocomial infections in acute care settings. Participants then completed a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of hand hygiene as a means of reducing nosocomial infections when caring for patients. All participants agreed that hand hygiene; reduces the risk of contracting a nosocomial infection, suggesting that the incidence of nosocomial infections within acute care settings maybe reduced through this education. This project has potential positive social change by educating first and second year nursing students on the importance of hand hygiene in reduction of nosocomial infections and preventing patients from sustaining further injuries while admitted in acute care settings.

Hand washing has been proven to be effective in preventing many serious diseases World Health Organization (WHO, 2009). Nonetheless, both the general public and many healthcare professionals fail to wash their hands. Very little research has been conducted outside of healthcare settings to evaluate the adherence of hand-washing procedures. This study investigated if hand washing adherence in a residential setting can be improved with the use of verbal and graphical feedback a probabilistic bonus. Results suggested that the probabilistic bonus had a substantial impact on hand washing performance: more so than signs, educational in-service, and verbal-graphical feedback alone. Reactivity data were collected and showed performance was weak to non-existent throughout all phases until the probabilistic bonus. This final phase improved performance when staff did not know they were being watched, however, performance was only moderate and variable both within- and between-staff

The following research was conducted to contribute to the greater understanding of the impact that most often utilized methods of public awareness and education have on behaviors relative to sickness and disease for the general public in terms of action toward prevention behaviors within a healthcare setting. The psycho educational approach is often considered an effective means to promote behavior change as it relates to preventative behavior, and in the clinical therapeutic setting has shown some relevance as an effective procedure. Unfortunately, no research as of yet speaks to the comparative effectiveness this approach may have over other approaches often thought to enhance preventative behavior, such as the more empirically based behavior analytic methods. This study provides such an analysis of the effectiveness each methodology has on changing the behavior of the public at large. Based on a study conducted in the academic setting to increase hand-sanitizing behavior of facility patrons (Loukus & Dixon, in review), this study utilizes the most effective form of prompting found to increase sanitizer use in a public facility. Because healthcare facilities often rely on psycho educational methodologies to influence sanitizer use amongst visitors and employees by placing "sanitizing stations" at the main entrance to the facility, this setting provides an appropriate venue for scientific manipulation of prompting variables to determine effectiveness on public preventative behavior towards sickness and disease, while a simple reversal design enhances the comparative value of effects obtained on behavior through observation and implementation of the two approaches within the setting.

Bakgrund: Vårdrelaterade infektioner är ett problem som tar upp resurser och vårdplatser. Ett av huvudproblemen är brister i handhygienen. Handhygienen ska utföras korrekt för att bedriva en god och säker vård. Det sistnämnda är en kärnkompetens hos den utbildade sjuksköterskor. Händerna utgör en smittväg mellan vårdpersonal och patienter. För att förhindra detta används skyddsutrustning men även handtvätt och handdesinfektion. Trots kunskap om handhygienens betydelse ses bristande tillämpning bland vårdpersonal.Syfte: Syftet är att identifiera faktorer som kan associeras med följsamheten till handhygien hos vårdpersonal inom somatisk slutenvård.Metod: I detta arbete har en litteraturstudie gjorts. Metoden som valts för att svara på syftet  är en kvantitativ metod. Observationsstudier (7) samt kombinerad observation och enkätstudier (3). Databaserna som användes var PubMed och Cinahl för att få fram relevanta artiklar.Resultat: Tio artiklar har sammanställts för att besvara syftet. Resultatet visade att handtvätt görs för sällan och ersätts med desinfektionsmedel. Arbetsbelastning och utbrändhet leder till sämre följsamhet till handhygien. Att handhygien spelar roll beroende av vilket typ av moment som ska genomföras. Följsamheten till handhygien var sämre innan kontakt med patientkontakt än efter. Slutsats: Dålig handhygien har setts på grund av olika faktorer, detta minskar patientsäkerheten genom risken för eventuell vårdrelaterade infektioner (VRI). Genom god handhygien minskar risken för smittbara ämnen vilket främjar både samhället och patienten. / Background: Healthcare related infections are a big problem in our society. This takes up unnecessary resources and hospital beds. One of the main problems is deficiencies in hand hygiene. Hand hygiene has to be performed correctly to provide good and safe care. Safe care is one of the nurses core competencies. Our hands transmit bacteria and viruses infections between the patient and healthcare professionals. To prevent this use protective equipment but also hand washing and hand disinfection. Aim: the purpose is to identify factors that can be associated with compliance with hand hygiene among care staff in somatic inpatient care.Method: In this work a literature study has been used. Observation studies (7) but also combined observation and questionnaire studies (3) was applied. Cinahl and PubMed were used as databases.Result: A total of ten articles were included in the result. The result showed that handwashing is not done as often as it should, and getting replaced with hand disinfection, workload and burnout leads to less compliance with hand hygiene. Hand hygiene plays a role depending on the type of procedures that are going to be performed. Adherens to hand hygiene were worse before patient contact than after. Conclusion: Poor hand hygiene has been due to various factors. This reduces patient safety through the risk of possible healthcare related infections (HRI). Good hand hygiene reduces the risk of infectious substances, which promotes both society and the patient.

No description available.

Thesis(M. Med. (Public Health Medicine)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Background: Health care workers (HCWs) hands are the most common vehicle for the transmission of health care associated infections (HCAIs) between patients and the health care environment. Hand hygiene is regarded as the most important, simplest, and least expensive means of reducing the burden of HCAIs. However, hand hygiene compliance remains low among HCWs. Aim: To assess the level of knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices (KAP) of HCWs on hand hygiene and associated factors. Method: A quantitative, descriptive study using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was conducted among HCWs of Pietersburg Hospital. Data collection was carried out between January and February 2018. KAP scores were summarised into means, standard deviations and percentages. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to determine association between KAP scores and selected independent variables (gender, age, profession, experience, discipline and training). Results: There were 324 respondents, mostly females (74.3%), <40 years (70.6%) and predominantly nurses (52.4%). Majority had moderate knowledge (79.3%), positive attitude (88.8%) and good practices (87.9%). Respondents had knowledge gaps on HCAIs, WHO “Five (5) moments for hand hygiene” and alcohol based hand rub. Association was found between respondent’s KAP scores and age (p<0.05). Nursing profession was associated with good practices (p=0.000). Knowledge and attitude were associated with years of clinical experience (p<0.05). Positive attitude (p=0.019) and good practices (p=0.000) were associated with training in the last 3 years. No significant relationship was found between KAP and undergraduate training. Conclusion: Most respondents had moderate knowledge, positive attitude and good practices. Respondent’s variety in KAP scores and associated factors indicate that a multimodal, multifaceted improvement approach should be undertaken to address KAP gaps.

Background: Hand hygiene is now, more than ever, one of the most important factors to minimize spread of infection. In low income countries like Lesotho between 6% - 19% of patients contract at least one healthcare associated infection. Compared to between 3% - 10% in high income countries. Objective: The aim was to describe how healthcare professionals experience and conduct basic hand hygiene procedures at a hospital in Lesotho. Method: The study was conducted using a qualitative content analysis with a manifest level of abstraction and an inductive approach. Result: The results showed in our final categories; Healthcare professionals perceive different views on the risk for contamination, Healthcare professionals described hand hygiene as important although there are hindrances, and Healthcare professionals stated that basic hand hygiene need support from management for good compliance. That healthcare professionals did not always perform basic hand hygiene the way it was supposed as low budget or lack of knowledge was an obstacle. Conclusions: There are many problem areas, such as cost, availability and knowledge although the personnel are interested, resourceful and willing to make the best of any situation they come across.

The purpose of this study was to teach four preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to wash their hands independently using a video modeling-based intervention package. A research questions was asked: Is there a functional relation between a video modeling-based intervention package and increases in level and trend for washing hands independently? A multiple probe across participants design was used to answer this question. Results indicated that the intervention package had functional relation with the increase in level and trend of the three participants’ performance in washing hands. The intervention package of video modeling and least-to-most prompting was found to be effective to teach the participants the skills taught.

No description available.

Sierra Leone was heavily affected by the West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic from 2013 to 2016. Ongoing EVD transmission during the epidemic was connected to several factors including unsafe traditional burial practices. This phenomenological qualitative study addressed Kono members' perceived knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding how burial practices influenced EVD transmission. Rosenstock's health belief model provided the framework for the study. The participants purposefully selected from various religions and professions were interviewed individually and in focus group settings. Similar phrases and comments were identified from the interview responses resulted which resulted in the following 5 main themes: (a) Kono community leaders and public health workers were cognizant of important EVD issues, but there was a knowledge deficit among Konos about EVD and its mode of transmission; (b) although customary burial rituals were temporarily banned from 2014 to 2016, they were practiced among the Konos to promote culture-driven dignity and respect for the dead; (c) many Konos harbored grudges and mistrusted government officials and public health workers; (d) infrastructural deficits were a barrier to health care as private and public sectors lacked training and equipment to mitigate the 2013-2016 EVD outbreak; and (e) participants were willing to adopt safer burial practices if EVD outbreaks were to reemerge. These findings indicated that EVD transmission was connected to unsafe burial practices. Findings may be used to improve community engagement and public health outreach efforts to promote safer burial practices, especially during periods of infectious disease outbreaks.