Most infections in nursing spread through hands or in other words by touch contamination. Hand hygiene carried out properly protects from microbe contamination. Correct hand hygiene prevents microbe contamination from nurses to patients and vice versa during nursing procedures and patient contact.

The aim of this thesis was to observe how nurses carried out hand hygiene during nursing procedures and patient contacts in the Onnela Unit of Partalanmäki Nursing Home. The purpose of the observation was to produce information on the hand hygiene performance in the Onnela Unit. The study was a quantitative study and it was carried out using observation procedures.

The results implied that the nurses’ hands were in a good condition and there was no jewelry used. There was no unnecessary hand wash with soap. Use of hand disinfection was performed very well in patient contacts. Protective gloves were used according to the recommendations. Things to be improved in hand hygiene were the time used in disinfection and in the rubbing of disinfectant to hands.

The results of the study can be used in the Onnela Unit and in the education of nursing techniques.