Use of a patient hand hygiene protocol to reduce hospital-acquired infections and improve nurses' hand washing.
BACKGROUND
Critically ill patients are at marked risk of hospital-acquired infections, which increase patients' morbidity and mortality. Registered nurses are the main health care providers of physical care, including hygiene to reduce and prevent hospital-acquired infections, for hospitalized critically ill patients.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate a new patient hand hygiene protocol designed to reduce hospital-acquired infection rates and improve nurses' hand-washing compliance in an intensive care unit.


METHODS
A preexperimental study design was used to compare 12-month rates of 2 common hospital-acquired infections, central catheter-associated bloodstream infection and catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and nurses' hand-washing compliance measured before and during use of the protocol.


RESULTS
Reductions in 12-month infection rates were reported for both types of infections, but neither reduction was statistically significant. Mean 12-month nurse hand-washing compliance also improved, but not significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
A hand hygiene protocol for patients in the intensive care unit was associated with reductions in hospital-acquired infections and improvements in nurses' hand-washing compliance. Prevention of such infections requires continuous quality improvement efforts to monitor lasting effectiveness as well as investigation of strategies to eliminate these infections.
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California. cherie.fox@stjoe.org.
Cherie
C
Fox
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Teresa
T
Wavra
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Diane Ash
DA
Drake
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Debbie
D
Mulligan
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Yvonne Pacheco
YP
Bennett
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Carla
C
Nelson
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Peggy
P
Kirkwood
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Louise
L
Jones
Cherie Fox is nurse manager of the cardiac intensive care unit, Teresa Wavra is a clinical nurse specialist, Diane Ash Drake is a nurse research scientist, Debbie Mulligan is an infection prevention manager, Yvonne Pacheco Bennett is a staff nurse, Carla Nelson is a infection control practitioner, Peggy Kirkwood is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, Louise Jones is a staff nurse, and Mary Kay Bader is a neurological/critical care clinical nurse specialist at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, California.
Mary Kay
MK
Bader
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult