Enhancing Compliance with WHO Sterile Glove Donning Guidelines Through Educational Intervention: A Quality Improvement Project

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a significant global challenge, adversely affecting patient outcomes and increasing healthcare costs. Aseptic techniques—particularly proper hand hygiene and the correct donning of sterile surgical gloves—are essential measures in reducing infection risk. Despite well-established protocols and global initiatives such as the WHO’s Clean Care is Safer Care campaign, adherence among healthcare workers varies widely. Objective: This quality improvement project aimed to assess and enhance compliance with WHO guidelines for sterile surgical glove donning among surgical trainees in an operating theatre setting. Methodology: A clinical audit was conducted in the Department of Urology at the Institute of Kidney Diseases, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan. Forty-three surgical trainees were covertly observed before and after a structured educational intervention that included video demonstrations, hands-on individual training, and the placement of pictorial guides in all operating rooms. Data were collected via online Google Forms and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Results: Pre-intervention compliance with the 14-step WHO-recommended gloving technique was 77.74%, which increased significantly to 94.67% following the intervention—an overall improvement of 16.93%. The greatest gain was observed in Step 6 (gripping the cuff correctly), with a 41.80% improvement. Steps 5 and 9 each improved by 32.50%, while Step 7 increased by 27.90%, and Step 2 by 25.90%. Notably, Steps 3, 4, 12, and 14 maintained 100% compliance in both phases of the audit. Conclusion: The findings highlight the effectiveness of targeted educational interventions in improving adherence to aseptic protocols in surgical settings. Regular clinical audits combined with continuous education play a critical role in sustaining high standards of infection control and enhancing patient outcomes. Keywords: Hand Hygiene, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infection Control, Operating Rooms, Patient Compliance, Surgical Gloves.