Cumplimiento del primer momento de higiene de manos en internos de enfermería de la Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil que asisten a prácticas a diferentes unidades asistenciales.

Abstract

Compliance with the initial hand hygiene routine among nursing interns is essential to prevent infections and protect patient safety. However, during their practical training, variations in the correct application of this essential measure are observed. Objective: To describe compliance with the initial hand hygiene routine among nursing interns at the UCSG (University of Guayaquil) who attend internships in different healthcare units. Methodological Design: Quantitative, descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional study. Population: 53 nursing interns from the Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil. Technique: Direct observation. Instrument: Checklist, used by some health institutions. Results: The majority of nursing interns are between 18 and 23 years old (51%) and are female (81%). Regarding hand hygiene, they perform it before administering drugs (94%), before surgical cleaning (89%), before contact with the patient (79%), and before administering blood products (72%). Regarding the materials used, the interns reported using alcohol gel (79%), soap and water (74%). Regarding the type of hand washing, most performed clinical hand hygiene (85%), routine hand hygiene (81%), and surgical hand hygiene (70%). Conclusion: Compliance with the initial hand hygiene routine by nursing inmates at the UCSG is partial, demonstrating good practices in critical activities, but with a need to reinforce consistency and proper technique to optimize patient safety.