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C. Naveen Kumar
Hand hygiene is now regarded as one of the most important element of the infection control activities. In the wake of the growing burden of health care associated infections the increasing severity of illness and complexity of treatment, superimposed by mu lti drug resistant pathogen infections, health care practitioners are reversing back the basics of infection preventions by simple measures like hand hygiene. A descriptive study design was used to assess the knowledge and practice regarding hand hygiene a mong 150 staff nurses at SGRD Hospital, Vallah Amritsar. The sample was selected by using convenient sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire and observational checklist was used to collect the data. The data collected were analyzed using des criptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study reveals that 2 (1.3%) of staff nurses have adequate knowledge, 41 (27.3%) of staff nurses have moderate knowledge and 107 (71.3%) of staff nurses have inadequate knowledge on hand hygiene. Regar ding practice of staff nurses on hand hygiene 27 (18%) of staff nurses have adequate practice, 116 (77.3%) of staff nurses have moderate practice and 7 (4.7%) of staff nurses have inadequate practice on hand hygiene. Proper hand hygiene is the single most important, simplest, and least expensive means of reducing the prevalence of HAIs and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Educational interventions for medical students should provide clear evidence that HCWs hands become grossly contaminated with pathogens upon patient contact and that alcohol hand rubs are the easiest and most effective means of decontaminating hands and thereby reducing the rates of HAIs.
Keywords: Knowledge, Practice, Hand Hygiene