A study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology examined how simulation-based training affected the duration and the quality of hand hygiene.
Researchers conducted the study in a university hospital's pediatric department. Twenty-two residents and nurses were assessed before and after simulation-based training was implemented. In the first assessment, prior to implementation, researchers scored 10 hand-rubbing procedures per participant during a work day. Two weeks later, all participants underwent a didactic course and simulation-based training. One month after that, researchers once again observed 10 hand-rubbing procedures per participant.
In all, researchers observed 438 hand hygiene procedures: 218 prior to implementation and 220 after.
Researchers found the duration of hand rubbing increased from 31.16 seconds in the first assessment to 35.75 seconds in the second. Additionally, there were significant improvements in quality scores between the two assessments, except for the dorsal side of the right hand. The wrist and interdigital areas were the least-cleaned zones.