title: Perspective of health professionals on hand hygiene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the practices reported by health professionals on hand hygiene; To determine how the practices of hand hygiene are related to socio-demographic and professional variables and variables in the context of practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study conducted in a hospital in central Portugal, in May and June, 2012. 71 health professionals participated, with 23.9% physicians, 64.8% nurses and 11.3% operating assistants, in paediatrics, neonatology and paediatric emergencies. The majority was female (91.5%) and 32.4% are between the ages of 31 and 40 years. A questionnaire developed from DGS (General Health Directorate) recommendations was applied with questions on socio-demographic and professional characteristics as well as on the context of practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The professionals are motivated to perform hand hygiene (98.6%). In self-assessment, they practice hand hygiene appropriately, however the results revealed that 43.7% of subjects reported little knowledge concerning the interference of ornaments on the practice of hand hygiene, 38% of the sample reported the steps of the hand washing technique improperly, and approximately 43% of the sample does not practice hygiene at the correct times. The majority of the participants who use a proper technique are nurses, with significant differences with regards to doctors and operating assistants (P=.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most have knowledge about the practice of hand hygiene; however, some professional groups need to improve their practice of proper technique and the correct time to do so. Approximately a third did not attend specific training, leading us to reflect on the need to invest in training.
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Viseu, Portugal. Electronic address: dsilva.essv@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga, EPE, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Otília
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ernestina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010564:Personnel, Hospital
keywords: Hand hygiene; Health care workers (HCW); Health care-associated infection (HCAI)