PhD Research Studentship
School of Health & Life Sciences/Institute for Applied Health Research
Reference Number:
SHLS-145s
Studentship Project Title: Using behavioural theories to explore the factors that influence
healthcare staffs’ use of gloves in clinical practice
Applications are invited for a full-time or part- time PhD research studentship at Glasgow Caledonian
University within the School of Health & Life Sciences. If full-time the studentship is for a period of three
years, subject to satisfactory progress and provides payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate plus an
annual stipend of £14,800 [please note that students from outside the EU are required to pay the
difference between International and EU fees, currently this would amount to £7,100 per annum]. If parttime the stipend will be pro-rata. Full-time students will carry out up to 6 hours of academic-related work
per week as part of their research training.
Research Theme
Public Health
Research Project Summary
Gloves have a role in the protection of both patients and staff from transmission of infection. However,
gloves do not provide complete protection against hand contamination and therefore should be used in
conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s ‘5 moments of hand hygiene’ to minimise the
risk of HAI transmission. Anecdotal evidence suggests that staff view gloves as an impenetrable barrier
and wear them for prolonged periods of time and consequentially miss opportunities for performing
hand hygiene and changing or removing their gloves so potentially putting them and patients at
increased risk. Recent research (Wilson et al 2013) has indicated that glove use in acute clinical settings
is associated with a significant risk of cross-contamination and needs to be more explicitly integrated into
hand hygiene policy. The authors called for further research in order to enable an understanding of
drivers of glove use behaviour and thereafter to design interventions to reduce their misuse and overuse.
The aim of the study is to describe the barriers and drivers of healthcare staff’s behaviour with regard to
glove use in clinical practice.
Understanding healthcare staff’s use of gloves is important to enable the design of interventions to
improve glove use and contribute to the global challenge of preventing and controlling healthcare
associated infections. It has the potential to contribute to policy development and add to the programme
of research currently being undertaken on hand hygiene at GCU.
This studentship would suit a graduate from either the social sciences, nursing or professions allied to
healthcare.
Wilson J, Lynam S, Singleton J and Loveday H. Oral presentation O003 at 2nd International Conference on
Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC 2013): The misuse of clinical gloves: risk of cross-infection and
factors influencing the decision of healthcare workers to wear gloves. Antimicrobial Resistance and
Infection Control 2013, 2(Suppl 1):O3 doi:10.1186/2047-2994-2-S1-O3
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Supervisory Team
Professor Jacqui Reilly, (Director of studies), Professor Paul Flowers, Dr Lesley Price
Staff Contact
Professor Reilly, jacqui.reilly@gcu.ac.uk
How to Apply
Please see eligibility and how to apply at http://www.gcu.ac.uk/research/phdresearchopportunities/
Applicants should please complete the University Research Application Form and send the form,
stating the studentship project title and reference number, with a CV, copies of academic
qualifications, references, and any other required documentation to: researchapplications@gcu.ac.uk
The closing date for applications is Sunday 31st May 2015
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