An evaluation of the effectiveness of nursing students' hand hygiene compliance: A cross-sectional study

Öncü Emine | Köksoy Vayısoğlu Sümbüle | Lafcı Diğdem | Yıldız Ebru

Abstract Background Hand hygiene is crucial for safe healthcare. Although the use of alcohol hand rubs is encouraged in clinics, there are few studies that focus on the proper use of alcohol hand rubs among nursing students. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand rub application and proper hand washing techniques which influence nursing students' hand hygiene compliance to make recommendations for future practice of hand hygiene training. Design This cross-sectional study was carried out from May 3/June 3 2016 with the participation of 257 nursing students. Their hand hygiene techniques were analyzed using a UV lamp and an alcohol-based mix marked with fluorescence. Results Of the participants, 77.0% were first-year students and...