Clinical Research Directory

Tailor VHA HH Bundle for Acute Mental Health Care

Mental health settings are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks and transmission due to infectious pathogens like norovirus. This occurs since access to soap and water (sinks) is limited for safety reasons and alcohol hand rub is not available outside patient rooms because of concerns for ingestion and fire. Thus, novel hand hygiene improvement interventions are needed in mental health settings including new hand hygiene bundles tailored to VHA mental health settings and novel alcohol-free hand rubs that are safe for installation and use in mental health settings. Non-alcohol hand rub has been approved and is currently used in some VAs, but isn't currently a standard VA-wide practice. These products can expand access to hand hygiene in locations where alcohol-based products are not allowed.

Hand Hygiene Compliance and Bacterial Colonization on Personal Belongings

This study aims to examine whether intensive care nurses' hand hygiene practices are related to the presence and amount of bacteria on their frequently used personal belongings, such as mobile phones, pens, and identification badges. Intensive care units are high-risk environments for infections because patients are often critically ill and require invasive medical procedures. Nurses have an important role in preventing the spread of infections through appropriate hand hygiene. In this study, nurses' self-reported hand hygiene compliance will be assessed, and samples will be collected from their personal belongings to identify bacterial contamination. The amount and types of bacteria found on these belongings will be examined. The study will determine whether nurses with different levels of hand hygiene compliance have differences in bacterial contamination of their personal belongings. The findings may contribute to improving infection prevention practices and developing targeted hygiene education for intensive care nurses.

Fluorescent Hand Hygiene Training and Long-Term Effects in First-Year Nursing Students

This single-group quasi-experimental study will evaluate the effectiveness and durability of a fluorescent hand hygiene training program for first-year nursing students at a Polish university. Students will complete the WHO Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire and undergo Glo Germ-based fluorescent assessment of handwashing technique at baseline, immediately after the training, approximately two weeks later, at the end of the first semester, and just before their first clinical placements. The primary objective is to determine whether the training improves and sustains hand hygiene technique quality over time, while secondary objectives include changes in hand hygiene knowledge and the relationship between knowledge and technique