Nursing: According to the World Health Organization,

Nursing:

According to the World Health Organization, hand hygiene is an essential measure for preventing nosocomical infections. This organization has prioritized the improvement of hand hygiene as a means of lessening these infections. The consideration is mainly attributed to the fact that the hands of healthcare practitioners represent the major channel of transmission of nosocomical infections. However, while hand hygiene is crucial in preventing nosocomical infections, compliance with this need is usually low in clinical practice. Consequently, the development and establishment of effective ways of enhancing hand hygiene is one of the major goals in the existing patient safety initiatives in the healthcare sector. One of these measures that have been adopted in the recent past is the development of hand disinfection as an important quality measure that is firmly embedded in clinical practice.

As a basic component of any infection control, hand hygiene is usually considered synonymous with hand washing (Widmer, 2000, p.136). Compliance with the need and significance of hand washing rarely exceeds 40% since healthcare workers do not always wash their hands. One of the most commonly used means of promoting hand hygiene is hand rubbing with waterless, alcohol-centered rub-in cleanser. This is a preferred means because of its ease of use, ability to save time, and its microbiological effectiveness in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, the use of hand rubbing with this waterless substance has demonstrated increased compliance with hand hygiene based on preliminary data.

While hand washing helps to prevent the spread of nosocmical infections, there are several questions and concerns regarding the effectiveness of substances used in this process. This has contributed to the development of a clinical question or researchable problem with regards to promotion of hand hygiene. In essence, is the use of waterless, alcohol-based rubs more effective in preventing nosocomical infections? This is an important clinical question because of the increased preference and use of these rubs by healthcare workers in attempts to promote and enhance hand hygiene during clinical procedures.

The significance of this researchable problem is also fueled by the fact that some studies have indicated that hygienic hand disinfection has better antimicrobial efficacy than hand washing (Kampf, Loffler & Gastmeier, 2009, p.649). These studies recommend the use of hygienic hand disinfection before and after contact with patients. Moreover, they recommend that healthcare workers should only wash their hands when they are visibly soiled but disinfect them when conducting clinical procedures. This implies that hygienic hand disinfection should be adopted as a procedure of choice rather than hand washing with waterless, alcohol-based rubs. While these rubs help in lessening the spread of nosocomical infections, they are slightly ineffective as compared to hygienic hand disinfection.