AbstractsPsychology

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the perceptions held by physicians, nurses, and other allied clinicians regarding hand-hygiene practices in order to understand what causes non-compliance with those practices. The conceptual framework guiding the research study was based on the social behavioral theories Rosenstocks Health Belief Model, The theory of reasoned action (TRA), introduced by Ajzen and Fishbein (1975) and The social cognitive theory which suggests that an individual’s behavior is determined by his or her own personal intention and that this intention is a function that also determines the individual’s attitude toward the subjective norm or behavior. This research study employed a telephone interview with open-ended questions to explore physician, nurse, and allied clinician perceptions about the hand washing and the factors for non-compliance. The content of the transcribed interviews were analyzed using NVivo 10 software to explore the hand hygiene perspective of a purposeful sample of 3 nurse, 3 physicians and 4 allied clinicians with at least two years of direct patient care experience. Interview data collected from the study resulted in 5 major themes encompassing the need for healthcare institutions to consider when developing hand hygiene initiatives. The descriptive patterns that emerged were: (a) lack of reoccurring formal education/training, (b) staff shortages, (c) sink placement, (d) skin breakdown and sensitivity to hand hygiene products, (e) educational differences among the three groups (physician, nurse, and allied clinician staff). Specifically the results of the case study showed demographic and generational variability with participants of different ages, educational backgrounds, and patient care experience. Results from the study led to recommendations for healthcare leaders that may strengthen hand hygiene compliance enforcement. Study results were also used to make suggestions for future research.