Effect of nursing procedures on the hand skin temperature of female hospital nurses

Abstract

Aims Nurses’ hand temperature may affect patient comfort but has not been investigated. This study aimed to determine female hospital nurses' hand skin temperature and clarify the effects of measurement site, time, nursing procedures, and environment. Design An observational study. Methods The middle finger, thenar eminence, hypothenar eminence, and medial forearm skin temperature of 29 female hospital nurses was measured at four time points during a day shift and before and after nursing procedures (hand disinfection, hand washing, taking vital signs, hygiene care, and positioning). Results Mean hand skin temperature was in the range of 29–32°C with interpersonal variations. Mean skin temperature at the medial forearm was 31.94–32.35°C (SD 0.87–1.52°C) and at the middle finger, 29.73–31.07°C (SD > 3°C). Time‐dependent skin temperature fluctuations were confirmed on the middle finger (p = .022), and thenar (p = .005) and hypothenar eminence (p = .001). There were weak correlations between skin temperature and environmental factors, including ambient temperature (ρ = .194–.266), humidity (ρ = −.309 to −.319), and hospital room wind speed (ρ = .253–.314). The skin temperature dropped significantly after hand disinfection and handwashing at all measurement sites (middle finger: −1.30 and −3.56°C, respectively; thenar eminence: −1.19 and −3.32°C; hypothenar eminence: −0.80 and −3.39°C; medial forearm: −0.21 and −1.60°C). Conclusion These findings may raise nurses' awareness of their skin temperature. Moreover, our study highlights the need to develop countermeasures to ensure optimal nurses' skin temperature and patient comfort.

Cold sensitivity among female clinical nurses in Japan: A nationwide study

“…The ability to fine-tune air conditioning is associated with a lower cold sensitivity. Existing studies have shown positive correlations between room temperature and female nurses’ skin temperature and between skin temperature and perceived cold sensitivity ( Suzuki et al, 2021 ). Clothing is also used to regulate the body temperature.…”

“…Hand washing and sanitization have been reported to reduce hand skin temperature ( Suzuki et al, 2021 ). Frequent hand washing and sanitization are required for infection prevention in nurses’ work environments.…”