Brett G Mitchell1, Nicole White2, Alison Farrington2, Michelle Allen3, Katie Page2, Anne Gardner4, Kate Halton2, Thomas V Riley5, Christian A Gericke6, David L Paterson7, Nicholas Graves2, Lisa Hall2. 1. Faculty of Nursing and Health, Avondale College, 185 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW 2076, Australia. Electronic address: brett.mitchell@avondale.edu.au. 2. Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia. 3. Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia; Abt Associates, PO Box 1874, Milton, QLD 4064. 4. School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia. 5. Edith Cowan University, Murdoch and PathWest, WA 6009, Australia; School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. 6. School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences and College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia. 7. University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia; Wesley Medical Research, Wesley Hospital, PO Box 499, Toowong, QLD 4066, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) study tested a multimodal cleaning intervention in Australian hospitals. This article reports findings from a pre/post questionnaire, embedded into the REACH study, that was administered prior to the implementation of the intervention and at the conclusion of the study. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire, nested within a stepped-wedge trial, was administered. The REACH intervention was a cleaning bundle comprising 5 interdependent components. The questionnaire explored the knowledge, reported practice, attitudes, roles, and perceived organizational support of environmental services staff members in the hospitals participating in the REACH study. RESULTS: Environmental services staff members in 11 participating hospitals completed 616 pre- and 307 post-test questionnaires (n = 923). Increases in knowledge and practice were seen between the pre-and post-test questionnaires. Minimal changes were observed in attitudes regarding the role of cleaning and in perceived organizational support. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to report changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceived organizational support in environmental services staff members, in the context of a large multicenter clinical trial. In this underexplored group of hospital workers, findings suggest that environmental services staff members have a high level of knowledge related to cleaning practices and understand the importance of their role.
BACKGROUND: The Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) study tested a multimodal cleaning intervention in Australian hospitals. This article reports findings from a pre/post questionnaire, embedded into the REACH study, that was administered prior to the implementation of the intervention and at the conclusion of the study. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire, nested within a stepped-wedge trial, was administered. The REACH intervention was a cleaning bundle comprising 5 interdependent components. The questionnaire explored the knowledge, reported practice, attitudes, roles, and perceived organizational support of environmental services staff members in the hospitals participating in the REACH study. RESULTS: Environmental services staff members in 11 participating hospitals completed 616 pre- and 307 post-test questionnaires (n = 923). Increases in knowledge and practice were seen between the pre-and post-test questionnaires. Minimal changes were observed in attitudes regarding the role of cleaning and in perceived organizational support. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to report changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceived organizational support in environmental services staff members, in the context of a large multicenter clinical trial. In this underexplored group of hospital workers, findings suggest that environmental services staff members have a high level of knowledge related to cleaning practices and understand the importance of their role.
Authors: Lisa Hall; Nicole M White; Michelle Allen; Alison Farrington; Brett G Mitchell; Katie Page; Kate Halton; Thomas V Riley; Christian A Gericke; Nicholas Graves; Anne Gardner Journal: Antimicrob Resist Infect Control Date: 2020-02-18 Impact factor: 4.887
Authors: Andrea Niederhauser; Stephanie Züllig; Jonas Marschall; Alexander Schweiger; Gregor John; Stefan P Kuster; David Lb Schwappach Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2019-10-28 Impact factor: 2.692