Table IV.
Hand hygiene knowledge regarding microorganisms measured with the “WHO questionnaire for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Workers.” Correct answers marked as bold and italics. Data presented as number of correct answers (n) out of the number of respondents (N) “n/N (%).” Each subscript letter (a, b) denotes a subset of group whose proportions do not differ from each other
| Item | NSS11 n/N (%) | NSS62 n/N (%) | RN3 n/N (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare workers' hands when not clean is the main route of cross-transmission of potentially harmful germs between patients in a healthcare facility. | 66/71 (93.0) | 42/46 (91.3) | 79/84 (94.0) | 0.30 |
| Germs already present on or within the patient is the most frequent source of germs responsible for healthcare associated infections. | 35/71 (49.3) | 21/46 (45.7) | 40/83 (48.2) | 0.60 |
| The following hand hygiene actions prevent the transmission of germs to the patient, answered with yes or no alternatives | ||||
| Before touching a patient (Yes) | 70/71 (98.6) | 45/46 (97.8) | 84/84 (100) | 0.34 |
| Immediately after a risk of exposure to bodily fluids (No) | 7/68 (10.3) | 7/46 (15.2) | 8/81 (9.9) | 0.65 |
| After exposure to the patient's immediate surroundings (No) | 6/68 (8.8) | 5/46 (10.9) | 6/82 (7.3) | 0.72 |
| Immediately before a clean/aseptic procedure (Yes) | 62/70 (88.6)a | 46/46 (100)b | 82/82 (100)b | 0.00 |
| The following hand hygiene actions prevent the transmission of germs to the healthcare worker, answered with yes or no alternatives | ||||
| After touching a patient (Yes) | 63/69 (91.3)a | 45/45 (100)b | 83/84 (98.8)b | 0.02 |
| Immediately after a risk of exposure to bodily fluids (Yes) | 68/69 (98.6) | 44/46 (95.7) | 83/83 (100) | 0.11 |
| Immediately before a clean/aseptic procedure (No) | 9/69 (13.0)a | 14/44 (31.8)b | 14/82 (17.1)a,b | 0.05 |
| After exposure to the patient's immediate surroundings (Yes) | 70/70 (100) | 46/46 (100) | 84/84 (100) | N/A |
| The following should be avoided to prevent the colonization of hands with harmful germs, answered with yes or no alternatives | ||||
| Wearing jewelry (Yes) | 70/70 (100) | 46/46 (100.0) | 84/84 (100.0) | N/A |
| Damaged skin (Yes) | 66/70 (94.3) | 45/46 (97.8) | 81/84 (96.4) | 0.73 |
| Artificial fingernails (Yes) | 69/69 (100) | 45/45 (100) | 82/82 (100) | N/A |
| Regular use of hand cream (No) | 46/68 (67.6) | 38/45 (84.4) | 68/84 (81.0) | 0.07 |
NSS11= Nursing students-semester 1, NSS62= Nursing students-semester 6, RN3= Registered nurses.