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Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Hand Hygiene Among Healthcare Workers Caring for Critically Ill Neonates
Formats Available in JSTOR: PDF
Abstract(back to top)
BACKGROUND. Infectious complications are frequent among critically ill neonates. Hand hygiene is the leading measure to prevent healthcare‐associated infections, but poor compliance has been repeatedly documented, including in the neonatal setting. Hand hygiene promotion requires a complex approach that should consider personal factors affecting healthcare workers’ attitudes.
OBJECTIVE. To identify beliefs and perceptions associated with intention to comply with hand hygiene among neonatal healthcare workers.
METHODS. An anonymous, self‐administered questionnaire (74 items) based on the theory of planned behavior was distributed to 80 neonatal healthcare workers to assess intention to comply, attitude toward hand hygiene, behavioral and subjective norm perceptions, and perception of difficulty to comply. Variables were assessed using multi‐item measures and answers to 7‐point bipolar scales. All multi‐item scales had satisfactory internal consistency (alpha > 0.7). Multivariate logistic regression identified independent perceptions or beliefs associated with a positive intention to comply.
RESULTS. The response rate was 76% (61 of 80). Of the 49 nurses and 12 physicians responding, 75% believed that they could improve their compliance with hand hygiene. Intention to comply was associated with perceived control over the difficulty to perform hand hygiene (OR, 3.12; CI95, 1.12 to 8.70; P = .030) and a positive perception of how superiors valued hand hygiene (OR, 2.89; CI95, 1.08 to 7.77; P = .035).
CONCLUSIONS. Our data highlight the importance of the opinions of superiors and a strong perceived controllability over the difficulty to perform hand hygiene as possible internal factors that may influence hand hygiene compliance.
Bibliographic Information(back to top)
- Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Hand Hygiene Among Healthcare Workers Caring for Critically Ill Neonates
- Carmem Lucia Pessoa‐Silva , MD, Klara Posfay‐Barbe , MD, Riccardo Pfister , MD, Sylvie Touveneau , RN, Thomas V. Perneger , MD, PhD and Didier Pittet , MD, MS
- Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
- Vol. 26, No. 3 (March 2005) (pp. 305-311)
Notes and References(back to top)
This item contains 1 note(s).
Notes
Drs. Pessoa‐Silva and Pittet and Ms. Touveneau are from the Infection Control Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Pessoa‐Silva is also from the Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Drs. Posfay‐Barbe and Pfister are from the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Perneger is from the Quality of Care Unit, University of Geneva Hospitals, and the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.Address reprint requests to Professor Didier Pittet, MD, MS, Director, Infection Control Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Geneva Hospitals, 24 Rue Micheli‐du‐Crest, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. didier.pittet@hcuge.chSupported by a grant from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimneto Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Nr 200694/99‐5 (CLP‐S).
Items Citing this Item (back to top)
3 item(s) in JSTOR cite this item
- Benedetta Allegranzi , MD; Hugo Sax , MD; Loséni Bengaly , PharmD; Hervé Richet , MD; Daouda K. Minta , MD; Marie‐Noelle Chraiti , RN; Fatoumata Maiga Sokona , DEA; Angèle Gayet‐Ageron , MD; Pascal Bonnabry , PhD; Didier Pittet , MD, MS;Vol. 31, No. 2 (February 2010) pp. 133-141Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/649796
- Sussie Laustsen , MNSc; Elisabeth Lund , RN; Bo Martin Bibby , PhD; Brian Kristensen , MD, PhD; Ane Marie Thulstrup , MD, PhD; Jens Kjølseth Møller , MD, DMScVol. 30, No. 2 (February 2009) pp. 172-178Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/593206
- Hugo Sax , MD; Ilker Uçkay , MD; Hervé Richet , MD; Benedetta Allegranzi , MD; Didier Pittet , MD, MSVol. 28, No. 11 (November 2007) pp. 1267-1274Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/521663