ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE ON HAND HYGIENE AMONG NURSES WORKING IN SPHMMC

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Effective hand hygiene is essential for reducing healthcare associated infections. However, compliance of healthcare workers to hand hygiene guidelines are reportedly poor. It is important therefore to instill adequate knowledge and good attitudes and practices at the time of primary training of the healthcare workers. Objective: - This paper aims to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses working in SPHMMC and to improve existing training programs and enhance good practices and working ethics in the future. Methods: - This research was based in Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Ethiopia and it was a self-administered questionnaire based cross sectional study was done. The data was collected from nurses working in SPHMMC by a self-administered questionnaire. The data was then filled on SPSS 21.0. Appropriate analysis of different socio demographic characteristics was done. The results were presented using graphs and tables. Results: - A total of 254 nurses were sampled and from these 161 were females and 93 were males making F: M ratio 1.73:1. The mean age of the individuals is 25.98 and the median age is 26 years. The minimum and the maximum ages are 18 and 42 respectively. Of these 97 were married and 157 were single and percentage of married and single being 38.2 % and 61.8 % respectively. The results showed that the participants had a good knowledge 56.7% of the nurses regarding the hand hygiene and majority of the respondents had moderate attitude 74%. Regarding practice 61% (155out of 254) had poor practice and 20.1% (51 out of 254) had good practice and remaining 18.9%(48 out of 254) had moderate practice on hand hygiene Conclusion: - The results of the current study showed that there was a further need to focus on the practices of hand hygiene by continuous education and training for nurses in the country.