Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Amelia Nichols

Abstract

Health-care-associated infections (HCAIs) affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. About 2 million patients suffer from HCAIs in the United States, and it is estimated that 99,000 of them die each year. Studies have indicated that transmission of health-care-associated microorganisms occurs through contaminated hands of health care workers. Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most effective way to prevent health-care-associated infections, yet health care workers' hand hygiene compliance remains low. One factor responsible for poor compliance with hand hygiene guide-lines are lack of knowledge of good hand hygiene and lack of hand hygiene techniques. This project evaluated the effect of educational program on hand hygiene for intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare workers. The Health Belief Model was applied as the framework in this project. Key components of the model are perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, and perceived barriers. A convenience sample of 25 ICU healthcare workers participated in the educational program. Pre- and post- education surveys and tests were assessed using descriptive statistics. Results were consistent with existing findings indicating that education is needed to improve HH compliance and that effective HH reduces infections. The findings from this project may contribute to positive social change by promoting increased HH knowledge and infection prevention while decreasing complications of treatments, costs, morbidity, and mortality, thereby promoting a healthy and safe community.

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