Hand Hygiene Compliance Among Nursing Students on Clinical Placement at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi

Background: Nursing students represent a vulnerable group in whom proper hand hygiene habits must be cultivated early to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Monitoring compliance during clinical placements is essential. Aim: This study assessed hand hygiene compliance among nursing students during clinical placement at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, South East Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive observational study design was adopted. One hundred and ten final-year nursing students were observed during clinical rotations in medical, surgical, and paediatric wards using a WHO hand hygiene observation checklist. Chi-square and logistic regression were used in data analysis. Results: Compliance with all five WHO hand hygiene moments was observed in only 37% of student encounters. Before patient contact and before aseptic procedures showed the lowest compliance rates. Students who had received formal hand hygiene training in the preceding semester showed significantly higher compliance rates. Conclusion: Hand hygiene compliance among nursing students remains inadequate. Continuous supervisory observation, peer accountability systems, and recurrent sensitisation workshops are recommended to cultivate lifelong hand hygiene habits among student nurses at Nigerian teaching hospitals. Keywords: hand hygiene, nursing students, clinical placement, Nnewi, healthcare-associated infections.