Research Dissertation: Promoting Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings

This research dissertation investigates the promotion of hand hygiene within healthcare settings. The introduction establishes the background, rationale, aims, objectives, and research questions, emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene in minimizing the transmission of infections. The literature review explores the significance of hand hygiene, factors affecting compliance, and various promotion strategies. The methodology outlines the research philosophy, approach, choice, strategy, data collection methods, and sampling techniques, including the use of a survey research strategy and quantitative data analysis. The research aims to identify the ways for promoting hand hygiene, examining its importance, factors impacting compliance, and effective promotion methods. The study uses positivism research philosophy, a deductive approach, and a quantitative research choice. Data collection involves questionnaires and secondary sources. The study uses random sampling with 40 respondents to gather information. References include books, journals, and online sources to support the research findings.

RESEARCH DISSERTATION /
PROFESSIONAL PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
Background of Research..............................................................................................................................3
Rationale of Research..................................................................................................................................3
Research Aim..............................................................................................................................................3
Research Objectives....................................................................................................................................3
Research Questions.....................................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................................5
Importance of hand hygiene for health care setting.................................................................................5
Factors impacting hand hygiene compliance...........................................................................................5
Ways for promoting the hand hygiene within health care setting............................................................5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................7
Research Philosophy...............................................................................................................................7
Research Approach..................................................................................................................................7
Research Choice......................................................................................................................................7
Research Strategy....................................................................................................................................7
Data collection and analysis....................................................................................................................7
Sampling.................................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................9

TITLE: Ways for promoting hand hygienic within health care setting.
INTRODUCTION
Background of Research
Hand hygiene is way of cleaning the one hand which minimizes the harmful
microorganisms on hands. This is regarded as main measure for minimizing transmitting
infection risk between health care personnel and patients. Hand hygiene is simple and effective
way of preventing infections. Cleaning up hands will avoid spread of germs, even antibiotic
resistant and difficult to treat, if not difficult. Healthcare professionals disinfect their hands less
than half the time on average. Hygiene of hands is also considered one of key components of
infection control (Kingston, O'Connell and Dunne, 2016). With the burden of HCAIs, the
seriousness of disease and the difficulty of care, superposed by pathogenic multi-drug (MDR)
infections, the health professionals are returning with simple steps such as hand hygiene to basics
of the infection prevention.
Rationale of Research
Present investigation is related to the ways for promoting the hand hygiene within the
health care setting. Hand hygiene is necessary within health care in order to remove the germs.
The rationale of research to conduct this investigation is to examine the benefits of hand hygiene
and the ways to promote hand hygienic and also create awareness among people (Sansam and et.
al., 2016).
Research Aim
The aim of this research is “To identify the ways for promoting hand hygienic within
health care setting.”
Research Objectives
 To examine the importance of hand hygiene for health care setting.
 To identify the factors impacting hand hygiene compliance.
 To determine the ways for promoting the hand hygiene within health care setting.

Research Questions
 Why hand hygiene is important for the health care setting?
 What are the different factors which impacting the hand hygiene compliance?
 What are different ways through which hand hygiene can be promoted within the health
care setting?

LITERATURE REVIEW
Importance of hand hygiene for health care setting
According to Deverick Anderson (2020) The key method to prevent spread of medical-
related infections between patients is characterized through many health care workers as the one
that most likely transmits bacteria to health workers (HCW). Although microbes have been
identified in HCW hands because activities like the care of wounds, intravascular catheter care,
respiratory treatment and the handling of patient secretions in anticipation, after so-called 'clean'
touch, including the pulse, temperature or heart pressure in HCW hands, bacteria were also
found. The key procedure is hand hygiene, also in order to avoid the transmission of bacteria
from the patient's environment to patient. Patients acquire mainly bacteria infected by the
atmosphere through HCW hands. It also has good or bad bacteria mixed with it.
Factors impacting hand hygiene compliance
According to Allegranzi (2020) HCWs face difficulties in following signs of hand
hygiene at various levels. Insufficient or extremely poor enforcement rates from developing and
developed countries have been reported. There are many factors why suboptimal practice is not
feasible and can vary according to the available environment and resources. For instance, the
lack of adequate facilities and equipment for the performance of manual hygiene, cultural
context and even religious beliefs may play an important role in preventing good practice. The
factors which identifying bad hand hygiene compliance are working in particular care areas,
belonging t professional category, overcrowding, wearing gloves etc. Further information into
hand hygienic behaviour can be generated by individual factors like social cognitive
determinants. Most of the factors eventually play role in deciding whether hand hygiene or non-
compliance: knowledge of transmission risk and effect of HCAI.
Ways for promoting the hand hygiene within health care setting
As per viewpoint of Anne-Marie Kommers (2020) Promoting good hygiene in hands is one
of most cost-effective strategies for improving health and safety for all. Better hand hygiene
often between patients and health staff – helps prevent the spread of diseases, reduces the risk of
bacterial changes and thus of antimicrobial resistance and increases the quality of health care.

There are some different ways to promoting hand hygiene within the health care setting mention
below:
 Give hand sanitizer to patients when they arrive at hospital for health check up
 Ask to colleagues regarding hand hygiene and tell them about importance.
 Show videos about hand washing to the patients in hallways and the waiting rooms.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Philosophy
There are two different kinds of the research philosophies like interpretivism and
positivism. In conducting the present investigation, there will be positivism research philosophy
used because it is based on the quantitative method and analyse opinions of different authors
(Sickbert-Bennett and et. al., 2016).
Research Approach
In this investigation, deductive research approach used because it converts the
information from general to specific and give the authentic information.
Research Choice
There are mainly two different research choices such as quantitative and qualitative.
There will be quantitative research choice used as this involving the specific subjects and also
allowing the generalisations of outcomes.
Research Strategy
The research strategy provides way of collection of information. In this present research,
there will be survey research strategy used because it helps in collection of information from
large sample population within less time period (Staats and et. al., 2017).
Data collection and analysis
Data collection is related to collection of information from the different methods like
primary and secondary method. To collection of information from primary method, there will be
questionnaire developed. On the other hand, secondary method will be used in collection of
information in literature review from differed sources like books, journals, articles etc.
The frequency distribution analysis as analytical technique would be accompanied by a
review in order to analyze details about ongoing investigation. This supports the quantitative data
analysis. Ms-Excel will use the research questions to develop graphs.

Sampling
Sampling describes the method used for statistical analysis through an investigator
under which a certain number of participants are taken from a total population. There are
probabilistic and non- probabilistic two different kinds of sampling method. Through using
random sampling, there will be 40 respondents chosen (Zottele and et. al., 2017).

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Kingston, L., O'Connell, N. H. and Dunne, C. P., 2016. Hand hygiene-related clinical trials
reported since 2010: a systematic review. Journal of Hospital Infection, 92(4), pp.309-
320.
Sansam, S. and et. al., 2016. Assessment of hand hygiene compliance after hand hygiene
education among health care workers in Cambodia. Nagoya journal of medical
science, 78(2), p.151.
Sickbert-Bennett, E. E. and et. al., 2016. Reduction of healthcare-associated infections by
exceeding high compliance with hand hygiene practices. Emerging infectious
diseases, 22(9), p.1628.
Staats, B.R. and et. al., 2017. Motivating process compliance through individual electronic
monitoring: An empirical examination of hand hygiene in healthcare. Management
Science, 63(5), pp.1563-1585.
Zottele, C. and et. al., 2017. Hand hygiene compliance of healthcare professionals in an
emergency department. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 51.
Online
Allegranzi, B., 2020. Role of hand hygiene in healthcare-associated infection prevention.
[Online]. Available through: <https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-
6701(09)00186-8/fulltext>.
Anderson, D., 2020. Infection prevention in hospitals: The importance of hand hygiene. [Online].
Available through:
<https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20140422/10_3928_1081_597x_2014
0101_00_1340650
Kommers, A.M., 2020. 6 easy ways to promote hand hygiene. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/6-easy-ways-to-promote-hand-
hygiene.html>.