• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2022

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic increased awareness regarding the importance of hand hygiene in infection prevention. Although social distancing and vaccination are the strongest ways to prevent infection, personal hand hygiene is the most basic and easiest way to maintain public health. However, in addition to hand washing using running water, sanitizing tissues, and disinfection products are convenient for hand hygiene, especially outdoors. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the appropriateness of individual hand hygiene methods. In this study, we investigated the degree of hand hygiene offered by various hygiene products and hand drying methods for maintaining hand hygiene. Methods: An LED UV light kit was used for fluorescent observation of hand contamination. Bacteria from the hands were cultured to compare the degree of hand hygiene offered by various hygiene products. Bacteria were cultured in a hand-shaped medium dish to identify areas vulnerable to hand hygiene. Moreover, the degree of hand hygiene was observed according to the drying method using bacterial cultures. Results: We confirmed that hand washing under running water with antibacterial soap, sanitizing with alcohol gel disinfectant, and wiping with antibacterial wet wipes was effective for hand hygiene compared to washing under running water alone. However, for all hygiene products, a large number of bacteria were detected on the fingertips. We verified that natural drying, rather than rubbing, is effective in maintaining hand hygiene. Conclusion: These results suggest that hand hygiene products and drying methods are critical in hand hygiene management. Therefore, these results provide a basis for determining whether an individual's hand hygiene management method is appropriate.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.455-464
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• 2013

Purpose: The goal of the study was to investigate nursing students' knowledge and compliance with hand hygiene to find out the variables associated with compliance with hand hygiene. Methods: The participants were 1,020 nursing college students located in Seoul, Ansan and Suncheon. The variables analyzed in this study were; hand hygiene knowledge, hand hygiene compliance, hand washing habits, hand hygiene education with emphasis in school, emphasis on hand washing and role modeling in hospital, and hand hygiene beliefs. Data were analyzed by frequency, $x^2$-test, t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: 1. The correct answer average percentage of hand hygiene knowledge was 78.4%. 2. The average rates of hand hygiene compliance rate was 78.0% 3. Compliance rate had significant correlation with variables such as hand washing habit, hand hygiene education with emphasis in school, emphasis on hand washing and role modeling in hospital, and hand hygiene belief. Conclusion: 1. It is nessassery for nursing students to receive proper educational on hand hygiene knowledge during practices in nursing school curriculum. 2. Nurses should be encouraged to be a good mentor to nursing students on appropriate hand hygiene compliance in clinical practice.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.194-203
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to test the effect of a scenario based hand hygiene education program on hand hygiene knowledge, hand hygiene perception, hand hygiene compliance and hand hygiene method in nursing students. Methods: A non-equivalent control group, non-synchronized quasi-experimental design was used. Forty five nursing students participated in the study with 22 in the experimental group and 23 in the control group. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2-test$, t-test, and repeated measures of ANOVA. Results: There were significant increases in hand hygiene knowledge (t=-4.28, p<.001) and accuracy of the hand hygiene method by week (F=7.33, p<.001). However, hand hygiene perception (t=-1.67, p=.102) and hand hygiene compliance rate (F=7.33, p=.405) were not significantly changed. Conclusion: The effects of the scenario based hand hygiene education program provided in this study were excellent, compared to the other hand hygiene education programs. Moreover, as a result of investigating the education effects through direct observation for 4 weeks, appropriate feedback was offered in the third week, and it was found that maintaining the effect was necessary. However, the current status of hand hygiene compliance and accuracy of methods for ensuring hand hygiene need to be studied further.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.156-165
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted to test the effect of the Hand Hygiene Education Program on hand hygiene knowledge, hand hygiene perception, nasal Staphylococcus aureus colonization and hand hygiene adherence in nursing students. Methods: A non-equivalent pre-post test of quasi-experimental design was used. 87 second grade nursing students participated in the study with 43 in the experimental group and 44 in the control group. We used the Hand Hygiene Education Program which was held 5 times over 5 weeks, taking 60 minutes per session. For the analysis, descriptive statistics, chi test, and t-test were used for statical analysis with SPSS 19.0. Results: There were significant increases in hand hygiene knowledge (p=.004) and hand hygiene adherence (p=.002) and there was a significant decrease in nasal Staphylococcus aureus colonization (p=.026) in the experimental group compared to the control group. However, hand hygiene perception (p=.543) was not significantly changed. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that the Hand Hygiene Education Program may be effective in enhancing hand hygiene knowledge and hand hygiene adherence. Also this program was effective in reducing nasal Staphylococcus aureus colonization in nursing students. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of the Hand Hygiene Education Program on hand hygiene perception in nursing students.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.101-109
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge, perception and hand hygiene performance rate of hospital nurses and to identify any correlation between them. Method : Data were collected from 205 nurses working in a university hospital in Chungcheong-do. A self-report survey method was utilized. Participants completed the hand hygiene knowledge questionnaire. Results : The average knowledge of hand hygiene was 11.76 (out of 18 points), and the average perception of hand hygiene was 35.55 (out of 96). The hand hygiene performance rate was 85.62%. Knowledge of hand hygiene showed significant differences according to age (F = 75.821, p < .001), gender (t = 25.049, p < .001) and working period (F = 24.843, p < .001). The most important explanatory factor in hand hygiene performance was hand hygiene perception (${\beta}=.26$), followed by working period (${\beta}=.14$). These variables accounted for 10.0% of subjects' hand hygiene performance. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that continuous and effective education is needed to strengthen knowledge and perception of the importance of hand hygiene practice for nurses to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.247-258
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the correlation between belief in hand hygiene, activities and related hand hygiene performance rates among dental staff. Methods: This study was based on the evaluation of 329 dental practitioners, including dental hygienists who work at dental clinics, dental hospitals, general and university dental hospitals in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do Province, and Incheon. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 46 questions, including 7 questions on general characteristics, and 25 questions on hand hygiene beliefs, and 5 questions on hand hygiene activities, and 9 questions on hand hygiene practices. This study used 291 subjects for the final analysis, excluding subjects who had provided incomplete or inappropriate responses to the questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using an independent t-test, ANOVA, $x^2$ test, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis, where p-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Longer clinical career was associated with a significant increase in behavior and norm beliefs, but no sequential difference in control beliefs. The hand hygiene performance was higher in staff at larger hospitals after contact with pollutants and contaminated environments. Higher age was associated with a significant increase in hand hygiene performance rates, but profession was not statistically significant in the performance rate of hand hygiene. The hand hygiene performance rate was ranked higher among those with average work hours per week of greater than 8 hours followed by those who worked fewer than 8 hours. Fewer work hours per week, a stronger belief in hand hygiene, less frequent exposure to contaminated environments, and a greater number of hand hygiene performance had a positive effect on higher hand hygiene performance rates. Conclusions: In order to increase the hand hygiene performance rate of dental practitioners, it is considered that required time for hand washing should be ensured sufficiently. Proper usage of hand sanitizers should also be promoted efficiently.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2003

The effect of hand hygiene was measured by hand culture before and after hand hygiene for 86 nurses, doctors, and nurses aide/housekeepers in Surgical Intensive Care Unit. The subjects were asked to press their dominant hand in hand-shaped Mannitol salt agar immediately after patient contact and then washed their hand by preferred hand hygiene agents [soap and water, waterless alcohol gel, or 4% chlorhexidine gluconate detergent (CHG)], and cultured one hand again Amount of isolated microorganism was calculated by counting the number of divided areas ($1{\times}1cm$) which is culture positive in hand culture plate. The amount of microorganisms were significantly reduced from 58.1(${\pm}38.59$) to 27.4(${\pm}30.4$) cells after hand hygiene. The staff nurse's hand hygiene was more effective compared to medical doctors and nurses aide/housekeepers. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) was isolated in 41(47.1%) subjects ; but only removed 100% in 28(32.2%) subjects. When the amount of hand microorganisms was compared by subject's preferred hand hygiene agents, it was decreased in order of 4% CHG, waterless alcohol solution, soap and water, and water. The hand hygiene practice was inadequate to reduce hand microorganisms and significantly different by occupations. Further research and development of hand hygiene improvement program which emphasize the quality of hand hygiene is recommended.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.9-17
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• 2017

Purpose : The easiest and most cost-effective way to prevent medical-related infections is known as proper hand washing of health care workers. The experience of MERS in domestic medical institutions has increased the importance of hand hygiene for medical workers to prevent infections in hospitals. It is necessary to investigate the level of hand hygiene practice by type of medical institutions and the factors influencing the infection prevention. Methods : Domestic and overseas hand hygiene related business cases and literature data were collected and analyzed in order to investigate the hand hygiene status of medical institutions in Korea. Result : As a result of hand hygiene monitoring of all hospital-level medical institutions in 2016, the total number of observations was 24,328 and the hand hygiene performance rate was 75.9%. The hand hygiene performance rate of hospitals was 71.5% for general hospitals, 75% for general hospitals, and 81.3% for hospitals. Implications : In general hospitals and hospitals, the HR(Hand Rubbing) method is preferred as a way of performing hand hygiene, whereas the HW(Hand Washing) method is relatively high in the small hospitals. It is estimated that the HW system is preferred because of the cost burden at the hospital medical institution. Therefore, it is necessary to compensate the related expenses to improve the hand hygiene performance of the physicians who are engaged in the hospitals.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.198-207
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe hospital nurses' knowledge and beliefs about hand hygiene and to identify the relationships between knowledge and beliefs. Methods: Data were collected from 232 nurses working in four university hospitals and were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. Results: The mean score of knowledge of hand hygiene was 8.1. The mean scores of behavioral, normative, and control belief about hand hygiene were 2.3, 2.5, and -0.7, respectively. Knowledge was correlated with educational level (p=.013) and experience of hand hygiene campaign (p=.018). The behavioral belief was correlated with age (p<.001) and career (p=.002). The normative belief was correlated with work department (p=.007). The control belief was correlated with educational level (p=.043) and experience of being monitored on hand hygiene (p=.010). The subjects who believed that head nurses, charge nurses, and colleagues practiced better hand hygiene had higher behavioral and normative belief scores than those who did not. There were no significant relationships between knowledge and beliefs. Conclusion: There is a need to improve knowledge of hand hygiene in hospital nurses. This study provides information for developing strategies to strengthen beliefs about hand hygiene.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.375-383
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing care workers' intention of hand hygiene implementation in long-term care hospitals. Methods: A total of 180 care workers working at long-term care hospitals were recruited. Data collection was done from July 22 to September 7, 2018. Results: The significant TPB variables influencing the intention of hand hygiene implementation were perceived behavior control (β=.41, p<.001), normative belief (β=.28, p<.001) and attitude toward behavior (β=.15, p=.014). These factors explain 39% of care workers' intension of implementing hand hygiene in long-term care hospitals. Conclusion: In order to strengthen the commitment of hand hygiene, it is necessary to have a positive attitude toward hand hygiene by eliminating the obstacles to hand hygiene.