[Portable ultraviolet irradiation device as a teaching tool to improve handwashing in nursing students]

This study aims to evaluate hand hygiene performance among nursing students and to explore their reflections following an innovative educational intervention.

A simulation-based study was conducted with undergraduate nursing students using a mixed-methods design: a quantitative cross-sectional component to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and a qualitative exploratory component using reflective writing. Hand hygiene was performed with a hydroalcoholic solution containing ionizing agent that fluoresce under ultraviolet light. A portable ultraviolet device was used to visualize clean and missed areas. The time spent and the percentage of clean surface area were recorded. After reviewing the initial results, the handwashing procedure was repeated, and both time and clean surface area were compared. Participants then answered open-ended written questions about their experience.

Thirty students participated in the quantitative component and sixty in the qualitative component. The most difficult areas to clean were the fingertips, palms, and thumbs. The second handwashing attempt was 2.6 seconds longer (p=0.012), increased the median clean surface area by 9% (p=0.006), and raised the proportion of students achieving =70% cleanliness from 36.7% to 66.7%. Students reported notable benefits, including heightened awareness of personal errors, visual learning, and reinforced understanding of proper technique.

This visual and hands-on educational strategy effectively increases student awareness of key aspects of hand hygiene and may contribute to reducing iatrogenic nosocomial infections.