Nurses' Hand Hygiene Practices: Effects of Scenario, Knowledge, and Locus of Control

Abstract

Inadequate hand hygiene for healthcare workers is one of the most common sources of pathogen transmission in hospitals. In the current study nurses were surveyed as to their level of hand hygiene knowledge, internal locus of control, and risk assessment of specific scenarios. Scenarios were manipulated as to the person involved, the location of possible transmission, and the level of risk in the scenario. Results indicated a need for product designers and hygiene educators to focus on hospital surfaces, worker beliefs, and increasing hand hygiene education.