Hand Hygiene Project: A Qualitative Study on Hand Hygiene Practices

This project investigates hand hygiene practices among Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) using a qualitative research design and survey methods. The study aims to determine the frequency, methods, and materials used by HCPs when cleaning their hands before and after patient interactions. Data was collected through questionnaires, and ethical considerations such as confidentiality, voluntary participation, and safety were prioritized. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that HCPs generally wash their hands before and after patient contact, using soap, antiseptics, and clean water. The project highlights the importance of hand hygiene in preventing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) and promotes behavior change among HCPs, emphasizing the educational value of hand washing for all hospital users. The findings underscore the need for continuous reinforcement of proper hand hygiene practices within healthcare settings. Desklib provides access to similar projects and resources for students.

HAND HYGINE PROJECT
Name
Institution

Background and Rationale
 Hand washing is the cleaning of hands
 Healthcare facilities have some germs
 The germs contain diseases (Widmer,
2000).
 Germs can easily spread from one person
to the other
 All HCPs should thoroughly clean their
hands (Hartocollis, 2013).
 Survey important in studying the way
HCPs embrace hand cleanliness and
personal hygiene

Hand Cleaning Illustration

Aims and Objectives
 Survey is to:
 Study if the HCPs clean hands before
attending to patients
 Study if the HCPs clean hands after attending
to patients
 Study how often the HCPs clean hands when
attending to patients
 Study if the HCPs use clean water to wash
hands
 Study if the HCPs use soap and anticeptics to
wash hands

Illustration-Hand washing
Process

Approach/Methods
 Qualitative research design used for the
study
 Survey Method used to collect data
 Sample size used for the study to
represent the entire target population
 All participants had to meet the inclusion
criteria set for the study
 Simple random sampling procedure used

…Approach/Methods
 Data collected using questionnaires
 Each questionnaire sent to each
participant
 The questionnaires had short, open and
closed ended questions answered
 Participant had to respond to questions
then submit back the questionnaire

Fresh Water for Hand Washing

Ethical Considerations
 Survey based on ethical principles
governing research i.e.
 Ethical Principle of Confidentiality
 Ethical principle of voluntary
participation ad withdrawal
 Ethical principle of safety and harm-free
survey

Ethical Principle of Confidentiality
 All participant’s information treated with
confidence
 All the participants’ information not
leaked to any unauthorized persons
 All the participants'’ information only
used for this research
 Future use of the participants’
information done under their consent

Ethical Principle of Voluntary
Participation
 Participation in the survey done on
voluntary basis
 No one forced to participate, but only do
so at will (Silverman, 2016).
 Anyone who wishes to withdraw from the
survey allowed to do so at any time

Using Soap to wash Hand

Ethical Principle of Safety and Harm-Free Survey
 The survey to be safe
 No participant to be harmed in any way
 No experiment to be done without
consent

Data Analysis
 Statistical analysis done
 Statistical tools used to analyze the data
(Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015).
 Coding done on the responses from the
patients
 T-test used in the analysis of data

Discussion of Findings
 The HCPs usually wash their hands before
handling patients
 The HCPs usually wash their hands after
handling patients
 The HCPs usually wash their hands using
soap
 The HCPs usually wash their hands using
antiseptics like alcohol
 The HCPs usually wash their hands using
clean water

Implications & Recommendations
 Survey important in promoting the
culture of hand washing in the healthcare
setting
 Survey important in addressing the
problem of Hospital Acquired Infections
(HAIs) (Garus-Pakowska, Sobala & Szatko,
2013).
 Survey important in promoting hygiene in
the hospital
 Survey important in encouraging a
behavior change amongst the HCPs and

Personal Learning (Reflection)
 Survey educates on the significance of
hand washing
 Survey teaches how hand washing should
be done
 Survey teaches that hand washing should
be done at all times because it benefits
all the hospital users-HCPs, patients,
carers, and visitors

Conclusion
 Survey done to study the washing of
hands by the HCPs
 Qualitative research methods used
 Data collection done using questionnaires
 Survey revealed that HCPs wash hands
often, use soap, clean water, and other
antiseptics
 Research findings applicable in
addressing the issues of HACs

References
Garus-Pakowska, A., Sobala, W., & Szatko, F. (2013). Observance of
hand washing procedures performed by the medical personnel before
patient contact. Part I. International journal of occupational medicine
and environmental health, 26(1), 113-121.
Hartocollis, A. N. E. M. O. N. A. (2013). With money at risk, hospitals
push staff to wash hands. The New York Times website. Available at:
http://www. nytimes. com/2013/05/29/nyregion/hospitals-struggle-to-
get-workers-to-wash-their-hands. html.
Kowitt, B., Jefferson, J., & Mermel, L. A. (2013). Factors associated with
hand hygiene compliance at a tertiary care teaching hospital.
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 34(11), 1146-1152.
Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. Sage.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative
research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Widmer, A. F. (2000). Replace hand washing with use of a waterless
alcohol hand rub?. Clinical infectious diseases, 31(1), 136-143.