Effects of Hand Washing Program on Knowledge and Practice of Prevention and Control of Multi-drug Resistance Organisms among Nursing Personnel, Patients, and Care-givers in Surgical and Orthopedic Department in Nakornping Hospital

Abstract

Hand hygiene is an efficient and low cost strategies to prevent multi-drug resistant organisms (MDR.). This quasi-experimental research aimed to evaluate hand hygiene program (HHP) in terms of knowledge and practices in prevention of MDR infections among registered nurses, nurse aids, patients and relatives. Participants are 27 infection control nurses, 167 registered nurse, 75 nurse aids, and 218 patients and relatives. The study was conducted in surgical departments and orthopedics departments during 1 February 2016 to 31 August 2016. Participants were asked to fill in a hand hygiene questionnaires to assess their knowledge. A structured observation form was used to evaluate hand hygiene practices. The content validity of the hand hygiene questionnaires was examined by 5 panel experts and the validity index was 0.8. The K-R20 was 0.78, and the reliability observer was 1. Data were analyzed by using t-test and descriptive statistics. The study founded that after using the hand washing program, participants’ knowledge in hand hygiene practices increased significant from 75.7% to 89.0% in register nurses, from 64.5% to 80.4% in nurse aides, and from 62.3% to 79.4% in patients and relatives (p < 0.001). Hand hygiene compliance rates increased from 43.0% to 51.1% in Moment 1, and from 66.5% to 92.7% in Moment 5. This research shown that HHP increased hand hygiene compliance rate which was the importance of MDR infection control.