The Four Education Strategies to Increase Hand Hygiene Compliance Among Nurses at The Ward

First, the education strategy to increase hand hygiene compliance among nurses at the ward can be implemented through the use of simulation. Simulation is one of the most effective teaching methods that have the capacity to increase hand hygiene compliance as well as competence of the nurses (Didiodato, 2013). Through simulation, the nurses will learn in an interactive environment that will give room for immediate feedback so that they can ask questions or clarifications within the practice. The head nurses can show the rest how they ought to wash the hands, how long they should wash them, what to use, and everything that they need to know. Practice is preferable to theory in this instance (Wyeth, 2013). The benefit of simulation is that with repetitive practice, it soon becomes a habit, and the nurses at the ward would eventually become competent in the practice of washing hands.

Second, the education strategy to increase hand hygiene compliance amongst nurses at the ward can be implemented through the use of visual cues. Apart from practicing the act of hand washing, it is also important to use visual cues as a reminder of infections and the significance of hand hygiene (Gould & Drey, 2013). Visual cues include the use of laminated posters that can be posted in the labs or along the corridors and at the wards for the nurses to view them on a daily basis. The hospital can also play videos on the television that talk about hand hygiene practices from time to time (Smollan, 2013). The use of visual cues and reminders will ensure that the nurses at the ward do not forget about hand hygiene practices because there are instances where nurses claim that they forgot to wash their hands, especially when they wear gloves.

Third, the education strategy to increase hand hygiene compliance amongst nurses at the ward can be implemented by improving access to hand hygiene products and sinks. Some of the nurses at the wards have claimed that they forget to utilize hand sanitizers because the products are often placed at inconvenient location (King, Noakes, & Sleigh, 2015). Placing the hand sanitizers at the washrooms only is not an effective strategy because some of the nurses can be in a rush and view going to the washroom as cumbersome. Furthermore, hand sanitizers and towels can be affixed to the walls and above all the beds in the wards or made available at the medication dispenser and bedside tables (Palli, Broderick, Quimbo, & Strauss, 2015). Therefore, the education strategy should go hand-in-hand with increasing the convenience of the dispenser location and other equipment or products that are needed by the nurses for the implementation of the education strategy.

Last, the education strategy to increase hand hygiene compliance amongst nurses at the ward can be implemented through teamwork. The hospital management should ensure that the education strategy does not target the nurses as individuals working at the ward but the ward as a whole (Kowitt, Jefferson, & Mermel, 2013). This way, the results will be well-rounded and infection rates in specific wards will come down. Within the teamwork mindset, the nurses can discuss together regarding the best simulation specifications and methods that they can implement at the wards. The older nurses can introduce the new or student nurses working at the wards so that they build a culture that takes hand washing seriously (Didiodato, 2013). Together they should use WHO guidelines on hand hygiene. Therefore, teamwork brings cohesiveness thereby implementing the education strategy.