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Assessment tool for surgical hand washing skills: a scale development study
Kübra Şengör1, Hatice Merve Alptekin2, Öykü Kara3
1Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kütahya Health Sciences University, Germiyan Campus, Kütahya, Türkiye. kubra.sengor@ksbu.edu.tr.
Purpose:
Valid and reliable assessment tools are essential for evaluating surgical hand washing skills, which play a crucial role in preventing surgical site infections. This study aimed to develop and validate an objective assessment tool for evaluating surgical hand washing competency among nursing students.
Design:
Methodological validation study.
Methods:
This study was conducted between November and December 2023 at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa with 105 second-year nursing students enrolled in surgical nursing courses. Data were collected using a 13-item Assessment Tool for Surgical Hand Washing Skills (ATSHWS) and demographic questionnaire. Content validity was established through expert review, and reliability was assessed through inter-observer agreement and test-retest analysis.
Findings:
Content validity was excellent (CVI: 0.976). Inter-observer reliability demonstrated strong agreement (ICC: 0.951, p<0.001), and test-retest reliability confirmed temporal stability.
Conclusions:
The ATSHWS provides a valid and reliable method for objectively evaluating surgical hand washing skills among nursing students and may be useful for educational assessment and quality improvement initiatives.
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