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AimTo describe and compare attitudes toward hand hygiene and the perceived effectiveness of prevention methods among nursing students and registered nurses at a university and its affiliated university hospital.DesignA descriptive cross-sectional comparative survey.MethodsA total of 201 first- and final-semester nursing students and registered nurses completed the World Health Organisation's 'Perceptions Survey for Health-Care Workers'. The survey examined perceptions on hand hygiene, patient safety and the usefulness of improvement measures. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics.ResultsNursing students consistently rated the importance of hand hygiene and related interventions higher than registered nurses. Students particularly emphasised the availability of hand disinfectants, ongoing education and supportive leadership. Both groups acknowledged the role of management support, regular feedback and organisational policies in reinforcing optimal hand hygiene.ConclusionDifferences in attitudes between nursing students and registered nurses underscore the need for ongoing education, strong managerial involvement and supportive policies to sustain adherence. Strengthening these factors can help maintain positive perceptions formed during training and enhance patient safety in clinical practice.Implications for the Profession and/or Patient CareEducational curricula and workplace strategies that prioritise hand hygiene may help lower healthcare-associated infections. Management-led feedback, continuous training and accessible hand hygiene resources offer additional support for safe patient care.ImpactWhat problem did the study address? Low adherence to hand hygiene is a key driver of preventable infections. What were the main findings? Nursing students rated hand hygiene and improvement measures more highly than registered nurses, highlighting a need for strategies that sustain positive attitudes during the transition from education to clinical practice. Who will benefit? Nurse educators, clinical leaders and healthcare workers can use these findings to improve infection prevention across educational and practice settings.Reporting MethodWe adhered to STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional research.Patient or Public ContributionNo patients or members of the public were involved in designing or conducting this study, which focused on perceptions of nursing students and registered nurses.