IndexLiterature ReviewNursing Implications and DiscussionConclusionReferencesEvidence-based practice (EBP) is the conscientious use of current best evidence and a problem-solving tactic in clinical practice that incorporates patient ethics and affluent patient preferences studies designed to build patient care decisions. Health care is evidence-based and founded on knowledge derived from scientific research and morality. Conducting studies on EBP and nursing research adds to the scientific knowledge of nursing practice, thereby advancing nursing practice and optimizing patient outcomes. Integrating EBP protocols into daily practice helps nurses meet the professional responsibility identified in Provision 7.3 of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses: “advance the nursing profession through knowledge development, dissemination, and application to practice.” . To date, hand hygiene is a well-known EBP. It is a critical, essential and fundamental practice to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Although it is a critical practice, nurses and all healthcare workers continue to struggle every day with handwashing procedures with compliance rates of less than 50%. It is critical that healthcare providers and facilities provide ongoing education on the fundamentals of nursing practice, such as hand hygiene, in order to promote the importance of essential nursing fundamentals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayLiterature ReviewIt takes 15-30 seconds to effectively wash your hands, thus providing immediate protection to yourself and patients. In the short time it takes to wash your hands, you can reduce rates of patient morbidity, mortality, cost of care, length of hospital stay and recovery time. Hand hygiene is known as the simplest and most cost-effective way to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The World Health Organization (WHO) has established guidelines explaining when hand hygiene should be completed, including: “before touching a patient, before a clean/aseptic procedure, after risk of fluid exposure bodies, after touching a patient and after touching the environment surrounding the patient". The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly two million patients contract at least one hospital-acquired infection each year, and nearly 99,000 patients die from the attracted infection. Hand hygiene is critical to reducing HAIs while providing safe, high-quality patient care. 20-40% of nosocomial or healthcare-associated infections are preventable. Nurses must wash their hands, as directed by the WHO, to prevent such healthcare-associated infections. If a nurse chooses not to wash their hands because they believe it is unnecessary, drying, or time-consuming, that nurse is compromising the quality of care they are providing to the patient, ultimately putting the safety of everyone at risk. patients, medical professionals and himself. Nursing Implications and Discussions An infection will remain intact if the chain of infection is present and it is everyone's responsibility, including the patient, to break that chain at every possible time. It is impeccable that healthcare workers, such as nurses, provide information to patients and family members defining the importance of hand washing. The CDC states that, 12).