[HAND HYGIENE BELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS OF NURSING STUDENTS]. / Creencias y percepciones de estudiantes de enfermería sobre la higiene de manos.

OBJECTIVE: A key element to promote the compliance of hand hygiene (HH) among health care workers (HCWs) is to analyze their perceptions of it. Our objective was to evaluate the beliefs and perceptions that nursing students have on HH. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was performed during the 2011-2012 school year. It included all enrolled nursing students from a Spanish University. The information was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire, which assessed the importance of HH to control nosocomial infections (NI), beliefs (by Hand Hygiene Beliefs Scale-HHBS) and perceptions of the importance given to HH in the curriculum (by Hand Hygiene Importance Scale-HHIS). Associations were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: 146 students of the 270 (54.1%) completed the questionnaire. Assessing the importance of HH as NI control measure ranged from 4 to 10 points (median = 9). The more agreement HHIS item was to consider HH as an important part of the curriculum (76.1%), while HHBS item was to believe that hands washing after going to the toilet reduces the transmission of infectious diseases (100%). Importance of HH to control NI valued with > 9 points was associated with the agreement to consider it as an relevant part of the curriculum (OR:2.5), and to believe that HCWs play an important role in preventing NI (OR: 4.3). CONCLUSIONS: HH was rated as an important NI control measure. Educational programs should be carried out at universities to students do HH, whether they observe poor compliance among HCWs in their practices.

[Influenza vaccination among nursing students from a university of Castilla-León for the 2014-2015 season after their inclusion as target group for vaccination]. / Vacunación antigripal en estudiantes de enfermería durante la temporada 2014-2015.

BACKGROUND: Trainee students in healthcare settings of Castilla-León have been included as target group for influenza vaccination since 2012-2013 season. Our aim was to determine vaccination coverage against seasonal influenza virus among nursing students and to identify its determining factors after the implementation of such indication. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed during the 2014-2015 school year. It included all enrolled nursing students from a university of Castilla-León. The information (2014-2015 influenza vaccination status, reasons and 10 questions about knowledge of vaccines) was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated and the associations were evaluated using a Chi-square test and logistic regression. RESULTS: 227 students of the 340 (66.8%) completed the questionnaire. 5.3% of them reported having been vaccinated. The main reasons to be vaccinated were: self-protection (75%), protection of family/friends (58.3%) and protection of patients (50%). The main reasons to be unvaccinated were: nobody has offered to vaccinate me (59.2%) and not having risk of influenza or its complications (40.8%). At least 8 knowledge questions were answered correctly by 22.0% of students. Being aware that vaccines components are not dangerous was associated with vaccination (p=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: The coverage was low regarding rates in health-care workers. Therefore, it is necessary to develop strategies to promote and raise awareness regarding vaccination in this group. The level of knowledge was improvable. Since the knowledge that the doses of chemical substances in vaccines are not dangerous was associated with vaccination, specific educational programs should be carried out at universities to improve/reinforce the students' knowledge regarding vaccines.

Vacunación antigripal en estudiantes de enfermería durante la temporada 2014-2015 / Influenza vaccination among nursing students from a University of Castilla-León, Spain, for the 2014-2015 season

Fundamentos: Los estudiantes en prácticas en centros sanitarios de Castilla-León están incluidos como grupo diana de vacunación antigripal desde la temporada 2012-2013. Nuestro objetivo fue conocer la cobertura de vacunación antigripal de estudiantes de enfermería y los factores determinantes de la vacunación. Métodos: Estudio analítico transversal que incluyó a todos los estudiantes matriculados en la carrera de enfermería de una Universidad castellano-leonesa durante el año académico 2014-2015. Para obtener la información se utilizó un cuestionario autocumplimentado que recogió estatus vacunal frente a gripe 2014-2015, razones para vacunarse y 10 preguntas sobre conocimientos generales de vacunas. Se calcularon frecuencias absolutas y relativas. La significación estadística se estudió utilizando la prueba chi-cuadrado y regresión logística múltiple. Resultados: De los 340 estudiantes incluidos respondieron 227 (66,8%). El 5,3% refirió haberse vacunado. Las principales razones para vacunarse fueron: autoprotección (75%), protección de familiares y amigos (58,3%) y protección a pacientes (50%). Como motivos para no vacunarse destacaron: nadie me ha ofrecido vacunarme (59,2%) y no presentar ningún riesgo de tener gripe o sus complicaciones (40,8%). El 22,0% contestó adecuadamente 8 o más preguntas. Conocer que los componentes de las vacunas no son peligrosos se asoció con vacunarse (p=0,023). Conclusiones: La cobertura fue baja respecto a la descrita en trabajadores sanitarios. El nivel de conocimientos es mejorable. Además, conocer que las dosis de sustancias químicas de las vacunas no son peligrosas se asoció con vacunarse (AU)

Background: Trainee students in healthcare settings of Castilla-León have been included as target group for influenza vaccination since 2012-2013 season. Our aim was to determine vaccination coverage against seasonal influenza virus among nursing students and to identify its determining factors after the implementation of such indication. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed during the 2014-2015 school year. It included all enrolled nursing students from a university of Castilla-León. The information (2014-2015 influenza vaccination status, reasons and 10 questions about knowledge of vaccines) was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated and the associations were evaluated using a Chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: 227 students of the 340 (66.8%) completed the questionnaire. 5.3% of them reported having been vaccinated. The main reasons to be vaccinated were: self-protection (75%), protection of family/friends (58.3%) and protection of patients (50%). The main reasons to be unvaccinated were: nobody has offered to vaccinate me (59.2%) and not having risk of influenza or its complications (40.8%). At least 8 knowledge questions were answered correctly by 22.0% of students. Being aware that vaccines components are not dangerous was associated with vaccination (p=0.023). Conclusions: The coverage was low regarding rates in health-care workers. Therefore, it is necessary to develop strategies to promote and raise awareness regarding vaccination in this group. The level of knowledge was improvable. Since the knowledge that the doses of chemical substances in vaccines are not dangerous was associated with vaccination, specific educational programs should be carried out at universities to improve/reinforce the students’ knowledge regarding vaccines (AU)

Creencias y percepciones de estudiantes de enfermería sobre la higiene de manos / Hand hygiene beliefs and perceptions of nursing students

Objetivo. Un elemento clave para promocionar que los trabajadores sanitarios (TS) hagan la Higiene de Manos (HM) es analizar sus percepciones respecto a ella. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar las creencias y percepciones que los estudiantes de enfermería tienen sobre la HM. Método. Estudio transversal; se incluyeron los alumnos de enfermería de una universidad española en el curso 2011-2012. La información se obtuvo utilizando un cuestionario autocumplimentado, donde valoraron la importancia de la HM para controlar infecciones nosocomiales (IN), creencias (mediante Hand Hygiene Beliefs Scale-HHBS) y percepciones sobre la importancia que, durante la carrera, se daba a la HM (mediante Hand Hygiene Importance Scale-HHIS). Las asociaciones se analizaron utilizando la regresión logística múltiple. Resultados. El 54.1 % (146/270) del alumnado respondió. La valoración de la importancia de la HM para controlar IN osciló entre 4-10 puntos (media = 9). El ítem de HHIS con mayor acuerdo fue considerarla como parte importante del programa de estudios (76.1 %), mientras que en la HHBS fue creer que lavar las manos tras ir al baño reduce la transmisión de enfermedades infecciosas (100 %). Valorar con > 9 puntos la importancia de la HM para controlar IN se asoció con el acuerdo en considerarla como parte importante del programa de estudios (OR: 2.5), y creer que el TS desempeña un papel relevante en la prevención de IN (OR: 4.3). Conclusiones. La HM se valoró como una importante medida para controlar IN. Durante su formación se les ha de preparar para que la realicen, independientemente de que en sus prácticas observen un pobre cumplimiento entre los TS (AU)

Objective. A key element to promote the compliance of hand hygiene (HH) among health care workers (HCWs) is to analyze their perceptions of it. Our objective was to evaluate the beliefs and perceptions that nursing students have on HH. Method. A cross-sectional study was performed during the 2011-2012 school year. It included all enrolled nursing students from a Spanish University. The information was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire, which assessed the importance of HH to control nosocomial infections (NI), beliefs (by Hand Hygiene Beliefs Scale-HHBS) and perceptions of the importance given to HH in the curriculum (by Hand Hygiene Importance Scale-HHIS). Associations were analyzed using logistic regression. Results. 146 students of the 270 (54.1 %) completed the questionnaire. Assessing the importance of HH as NI control measure ranged from 4 to 10 points (median = 9). The more agreement HHIS item was to consider HH as an important part of the curriculum (76.1 %), while HHBS item was to believe that hands washing after going to the toilet reduces the transmission of infectious diseases (100 %). Importance of HH to control NI valued with > 9 points was associated with the agreement to consider it as an relevant part of the curriculum (OR: 2.5), and to believe that HCWs play an important role in preventing NI (OR: 4.3). Conclusions. HH was rated as an important NI control measure. Educational programs should be carried out at universities to students do HH, whether they observe poor compliance among HCWs in their practices (AU)