BMC Nursing (Apr 2025)

The effect of an educational program on hand hygiene compliance among nursing students

  • Hamed Gholizad Gougjehyaran,
  • Hossein Motaarefi,
  • Shahriar Sakhaei,
  • Mahsa Ashrafi,
  • Sorayya Zeinalpoor

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03075-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 6

Abstract

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Abstract Background Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures for preventing infections acquired in healthcare settings. Nursing students are at risk of these infections due to their frequent contact with patients and contaminated surfaces. Educational programs can be effective in improving hand hygiene compliance among nursing students. Objective To determine the effect of an educational program on hand hygiene compliance among nursing students. Methods This study utilized a quasi-experimental two-group pretest-posttest design in 2023 with senior nursing students. All students were included in the study using a census method, and the intervention and control groups were randomly assigned. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, and hand hygiene compliance was monitored through non-participant and non-intrusive observation methods, using the World Health Organization paper-based hand hygiene observation tool. The overall hand hygiene compliance rate was calculated by dividing the number of observed hand hygiene actions by the total number of recorded opportunities, with 100 observations before and after the intervention in both groups for each hand hygiene moment. Three months after the intervention, hand hygiene compliance was reassessed. The educational program was based on Kirkpatrick’s learning model and consisted of a three-hour workshop to educate participants on the importance of hand hygiene. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis, and the chi-square test was applied to assess compliance across the five hand hygiene moments. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22 software. Result The results showed that hand hygiene compliance rates in the intervention group increased compared to the control group across all five hand hygiene moments, indicating a significant improvement in adherence to hand hygiene practices following the educational intervention. Conclusion An educational program can be effective in improving hand hygiene compliance among nursing students. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

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