Knowledge, attitude, and practice of hand hygiene among clinical nurses in a tertiary hospital in China: a cross-sectional perspective.

BACKGROUND: Effective hand hygiene is a fundamental aspect of ensuring clinical nursing safety and quality. This study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of hand hygiene among clinical nurses, thereby providing evidence-based recommendations for clinical nursing and hygiene management. METHODS: The study was carried out between September 2024 and January 2025, involving clinical nurses from our hospital. Data were collected using a validated and widely recognized KAP questionnaire. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable. RESULTS: A total of 364 clinical nurses participated in the study. The accuracy rate of hand hygiene knowledge was 75.82%. Factors significantly associated with nurses' hand hygiene knowledge included years of nursing experience, professional title, receipt of hand hygiene training within the past three months, and the total duration of hand hygiene training received over the past three months. Professional title, working department, and receipt of hand hygiene training within the past three months were significant predictors of nurses' attitudes toward hand hygiene. Working department, receipt of hand hygiene training within the past three months, and the total duration of hand hygiene training received over the past three months were significant factors influencing nurses' hand hygiene practices. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical nurses demonstrated moderate levels of hand hygiene knowledge, with notable gaps in identifying specific indications for hand hygiene. These findings underscore the need for targeted training programs, sustained practice reinforcement, and supportive environmental interventions to enhance hand hygiene compliance and reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections.