A lecturer in nursing has called for more emphasis on hand washing in the curriculum for student nurses, following reports that patients were catching infections in hospitals because of unhygienic practices.
A study by Ms Teresa Wills, lecturer at the UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery, found that extra tuition on hand washing doubled the time student nurses spent washing their hands.
Ms Wills took 40 student nurses and provided an educational programme on hand washing and cross infection to half the group. Two weeks later those who had completed the educational programme were spending almost twice as long washing their hands as the group who did not receive extra tuition.
That group spent an average six seconds washing their hands while those who had the extra teaching input spent almost 13 seconds doing so.
Ms Wills said the nursing curriculum should be developed with a greater emphasis on microbiology and hand washing.
She called for the provision of clinical workshops on hand washing and the prevention of infection for all health care professionals in clinical areas.
The Independent Clare TD, Mr James Breen, told the Dáil last month that he almost died after he contracted the MRSA hospital superbug.
At that time the Minister for Health, Ms Harney, said it seemed incredible that the Department of Health had to issue guidelines to healthcare workers on washing their hands.
