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Abstract
Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Despite being a simple and low-cost intervention, compliance among nurses often remains suboptimal. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and self-reported hand hygiene practices among staff nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.
Objective: To assess the level of knowledge and evaluate the self-reported practices regarding hand hygiene among staff nurses in a tertiary care hospital.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted over three months among 235 nursing officers working in various wards of Children Hospital, Lahore. A structured, adapted questionnaire from the WHO hand hygiene guidelines, comprising demographic details, WHO-based knowledge items, and Likert-scale practice items was used. Participants were selected through simple random sampling. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was taken from all participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics were used for frequency distribution, while Chi-square and t-tests were applied to assess associations, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The majority of nurses had moderate to good knowledge regarding hand hygiene. However, reported practices showed variability, with only a portion of the participants consistently following hand hygiene guidelines. Significant associations were found between knowledge/practice levels and variables such as years of experience and previous training.
Conclusion: While knowledge levels were satisfactory, gaps in hand hygiene practices still exist. Regular training and institutional reinforcement are recommended to enhance compliance and reduce HAIs in clinical settings.