Perspective of health professionals on hand hygiene in a tertiary care center in Pakistan

Abstract Objective: To determine the awareness of postgraduate residents and nurses working in a tertiary care hospital about hand hygiene. Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2018 at The Children’s Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised postgraduate residents and nurses. Data was collected using a 31-item self-administered inventory. Data analysis was done using SPSS 21. Results: Of the 360 subject, 152(%) were postgraduate residents and 208(%) were nurses. Overall score of knowledge 202(56%) was low compared to attitude 260(72%) and practice 283(78.6%). The combined score of all three domains was 245(68%), indicating moderate awareness. Postgraduate residents had significantly better knowledge 98(64%) compared to nurses 104 (50%) (p=0.01), while nurses had better attitude score 159(76.4%) compared to the residents 103(68%) (p 0.05). Conclusion: Both postgraduate residents and nurses showed moderately satisfactory knowledge, attitude and practice towards hand hygiene. Key Words: Hand hygiene, Healthcare-associated infections, Postgraduate residents, Nurses, Knowledge, Practices. Continuous...