Loading...
Key beliefs of hospital nurses' hand-hygiene behaviour: Protecting your peers and needing effective reminders
White, Katherine M. Jimmieson, Nerina L. Graves, Nicholas Barnett, Adrian Cockshaw, Wendell Gee, Phillip Page, Katie Campbell, Megan Martin, Elizabeth Brain, David
White, Katherine M.
Jimmieson, Nerina L.
Graves, Nicholas
Barnett, Adrian
Cockshaw, Wendell
Gee, Phillip
Page, Katie
Campbell, Megan
Martin, Elizabeth
Brain, David
Abstract
Issues addressed: Hand hygiene in hospitals is vital to limit the spread of infections. This study aimed to identify key beliefs underlying hospital nurses’ hand-hygiene decisions to consolidate strategies that encourage compliance. Methods: Informed by a theory of planned behaviour belief framework, nurses from 50 Australian hospitals (n = 797) responded to how likely behavioural beliefs (advantages and disadvantages), normative beliefs (important referents) and control beliefs (barriers) impacted on their hand-hygiene decisions following the introduction of a national ‘5 moments for hand hygiene’ initiative. Two weeks after completing the survey, they reported their hand-hygiene adherence. Stepwise regression analyses identified key beliefs that determined nurses’ hand-hygiene behaviour. Results: Reducing the chance of infection for co-workers influenced nurses’ hygiene behaviour, with lack of time and forgetfulness identified as barriers. Conclusions: Future efforts to improve hand hygiene should highlight the potential impact on colleagues and consider strategies to combat time constraints, as well as implementing workplace reminders to prompt greater hand-hygiene compliance. So what?: Rather than emphasising the health of self and patients in efforts to encourage hand-hygiene practices, a focus on peer protection should be adopted and more effective workplace reminders should be implemented to combat forgetting.
Keywords
Date
2015
Type
Journal article
Journal
Health Promotion Journal of Australia
Book
Volume
26
Issue
1
Page Range
74-78
Article Number
ACU Department
Relation URI
DOI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled