Hand Hygiene Compliance among Healthcare workers at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan

Online First

2022 : Volume 1, Issue 1

Author(s) s: Chhimi Lhamo, ¹ Zimba Lethro ² and Gyan Prasad Bajgai ³

¹ Deputy Nursing Superintendent and Infection Control Focal of the Hospital , Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) , Bhutan

² Deputy Program Officer , Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) , Bhutan

³ Oral Medicine Specialist and Infection Control Focal, Dental Department, , Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) , Bhutan

Glob J Microbiol Infect Dis

Article Type : Research Article

Introduction: Proper hand hygiene (HH) is a proven, simple, and most effective method to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) in healthcare facilities. This study aimed was to assess the compliance and the level of knowledge of the health care workers (HCWs) on HH at the apex health center in Bhutan.

Materials and Methods: This was an observational cross sectional study conducted from 1st to 31st October 2017. Two research instruments were developed and used 1) Self-administered structured questionnaire 2) HH compliance observation checklist. The data was coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. which Recruited 565 of HCWs employed at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). The compliance to HH was an observational assessment using the WHO standardized checklists for HH while the level of knowledge on HH was evaluated using self-administered structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics was employed for data analysis and values of p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: A total of 565 participants (nurses 57.7%; technicians/technologists 17.3%; doctors 10.3% and support staff 9.2 %) responded to assessment on knowledge about HH and 1102 opportunities were observed to assess the HH compliance on 380 (response rate 68.34%). Of the total 1102 observations, 20.5% performed HH by application of alcohol-based hand rub, 12.9% used soap and water, while 66.6% missed or did not perform HH; HH compliance rate stood at 33.5%. 76% of the participants possessed a moderate to low level of knowledge about HH; overall knowledge about HH was at a moderate level (M = 7.31, SD = 1.95).

Conclusion: The overall HH compliance rate in this study population was found to be below average. Poor compliance rate and insufficient knowledge about the HH practice evident in this study is a concern and it calls for the need to strengthen HH practices at all levels. Keywords: Hand Hygiene; Hand Hygiene Compliance; Healthcare Workers.