A pilot study on the impact of blended learning in enhancing nurses’ hand hygiene knowledge

This pilot study aims to assess changes in nurses’ knowledge of hand hygiene before and after the implementation of a blended learning method ‒ combining an eight-hour practical simulation with an e-learning module ‒ based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ‘My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ framework, and to provide further scientific insight into the applicability of this educational approach. The study focuses on three key research questions: 1) how e-learning and practical simulations influence nurses’ awareness of hand hygiene principles based on the WHO ‘My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ framework, 2) whether there are statistically significant differences in nurses’ knowledge before and after the blended learning intervention by the WHO framework, and 3) how suitable the assessment tool used in this study is for planning more extensive research in the future. The participants are the nurses who attended the training. Data were collected using the WHO hand hygiene knowl- edge questionnaire from March to May 2023, and responses from 50 (91%) participants were analysed. Although this is a small-scale study, the results show significant improvement in awareness regarding hand hygiene methods after exposure to blood (52% vs 80%, χ2 = 8.369, p = 0.004), the need for hand cream (74% vs 90%, χ2 = 6.342, p = 0.042), and the use of hand disinfection and washing techniques (78% vs 92%, χ2 = 3.843, p = 0.050). However, no improvement was seen in nurses’ understanding of hand hygiene after emptying a bedpan. Additionally, there was insufficient awareness that the contaminated hands of healthcare workers are a significant source of germs in healthcare settings. The study found no links between nurses’ knowledge and their gender, age, or department. The assessment tool used in this study is suitable for conducting a more extensive analysis.