Assessing hand hygiene attitudes of inpatient nursing personnel in a US military hospital

Between 10% and 40% of hospital-acquired infections have been attributed to cross-contamination of healthcare personnel hands. This study described frequency of hand hygiene within a fixed US military facility, in participants wearing a military uniform and hospital-provided scrubs. The median frequency of hand hygiene reported in both uniforms was 10 per hour. However, two-thirds of staff indicated that the military uniform decreased their ability to perform hand hygiene. Stakeholders should re-evaluate policies requiring wear of long-sleeved military uniforms by nursing staff to facilitate hand hygiene. Non-military facilities may also consider the impact of long-sleeved garments on hand hygiene.