Table 2.
Knowledge about, and Attitude toward hand hygiene among 765 nursing staff in six secondary health care hospitals in Kuwait
| Variable | n | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| a. Knowledge about hand hygiene | ||
| Question (correct answer) | ||
| Which of the following is the main route of cross-transmission of potentially harmful germs between patients in a health care facility? n (%) (Health-care workers’ hands when not clean) | 563 | (73.6) |
| What is the most frequent source of germs responsible for healthcare associated infections? n (%) (germs already present on or within the patient) | 145 | (19.0) |
| Which of the following hand hygiene actions prevents transmission of germs to the patient? | ||
| Before touching a patient, n (%) (yes)a | 737 | (96.5) |
| Immediately after risk of body fluid exposure, n (%) (yes)a | 576 | (75.4) |
| After exposure to immediate surroundings of a patient, n (%) (no)b | 121 | (15.9) |
| Immediately before clean/aseptic procedure, n (%) (yes)a | 677 | (88.6) |
| Which of the following hand hygiene actions prevents transmission of germs to the health-care worker? | ||
| After touching the patient, n (%) (yes)a | 721 | (94.4) |
| Immediately after risk of body fluids exposure, n (%) (yes) | 713 | (93.2) |
| After exposure to immediate surroundings of a patient, n (%) (yes)a | 686 | (89.8) |
| Immediately before clean/aseptic procedure, n (%) (no)a | 152 | (19.9) |
| Which of the following statements on alcohol-based hand rub and hand washing with soap and water are true? | ||
| Hand rubbing is more rapid for hand cleansing than hand washing, n (%) (true)b | 120 | (15.7) |
| Hand rubbing causes skin dryness more than hand washing, n (%) (false)a | 391 | (51.2) |
| Hand rubbing is more effective against germs than hand washing, n (%) (false)a | 188 | (24.6) |
| Hand washing and hand rubbing are recommended to be performed in sequence, n (%) (false) | 511 | (66.8) |
| Which type of hand hygiene method is required in the following situations? | ||
| Before palpation of the abdomen, n (%) (rubbing) | 609 | (79.6) |
| Before giving an injection, n (%) (rubbing) | 312 | (40.8) |
| After emptying a bedpan, n (%) (washing) | 711 | (92.9) |
| After removing examination gloves, n (%) (rubbing/washing) | 749 | (98.0) |
| After making a patient’s bed, n (%) (rubbing) | 322 | (42.1) |
| After visible exposure to blood, n (%) (washing) | 710 | (92.8) |
| Which of the following should be avoided, as associated with increased likelihood of colonization of hands with harmful germs? | ||
| Wearing jewelry, n (%) (yes)a | 712 | (93.2) |
| Damaged skin, n (%) (yes) | 677 | (88.5) |
| Artificial nails, n (%) (yes)a | 716 | (93.7) |
| Regular use of hand cream, n (%) (no)a | 426 | (55.8) |
| Attitude toward hand hygiene | ||
| Statement n (%) | Agree | Disagree |
| Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? | ||
| I adhere to correct hand hygiene practices at all times | 735 (96.1) | 30 (3.9) |
| I have sufficient knowledge about hand hygiene | 726 (94.9) | 39 (5.1) |
| Sometimes I have more important things to do than hand hygiene | 192 (25.1) | 573 (74.9) |
| Emergencies and other priorities make hand hygiene more difficult sometimes | 456 (59.6) | 309 (40.4) |
| Wearing gloves reduces the need for hand washinga | 194 (25.4) | 570 (74.6) |
| I feel guilty if I omit hand washing | 650 (85.0) | 115 (15.0) |
| Adhering to hand washing practices is easy in the current setupb | 664 (87.0) | 99 (13.0) |
| I feel frustrated when others omit hand hygiene | 624 (81.6) | 141 (18.4) |
| Hand hygiene is an essential part of my role | 727 (95.0) | 38 (5.0) |
| Sometimes I miss out hand hygiene simply because I forget it | 162 (21.2) | 603 (78.8) |
| The frequency of hand hygiene required makes it difficult for me to carry it out as often as necessaryb | 200 (26.2) | 563 (73.8) |
aMissing for one participant
bMissing for two participants