title: Effects of hand hygiene education and individual feedback on hand hygiene behaviour, MRSA acquisition rate and MRSA colonization pressure among intensive care unit nurses.
abstract: This study was conducted to increase the frequency and level of thoroughness of hand hygiene practice by nurses, and to assess the influence of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquired incidence rate and the MRSA colonization pressure in a medical intensive care unit (MICU). A total of 24 MICU nurses received hand hygiene education and individual feedback of hand hygiene frequency and method after a session of education, and two posteducation evaluations were followed. The frequency of hand hygiene (P = 0.001) and the methodology score of hand hygiene increased significantly (P = 0.001). The MRSA acquisition rate decreased significantly, from 11.1% before the education to 0% after (P = 0.014). The MRSA colonization pressure decreased significantly from 39.5% to 8.6% after the education sessions (P = 0.001). This indicates that providing individual feedback after hand hygiene education was very effective in increasing nurses' hand hygiene frequency and improving hand hygiene method; furthermore, it was expected to decrease health care-associated infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Semyung University, Jecheon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Mi
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Ran
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000193:education*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D000068156:Formative Feedback; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: hand hygiene; intensive care unit; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus