It has long been recognized that appropriate hand hygiene reduces the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. In spite of this fact, overall compliance with hand hygiene guidelines continues to be suboptimal in healthcare facilities. Factors that contribute to this poor compliance include lack of knowledge, understaffing and overcrowding, poor access to handwashing facilities, irritant contact dermatitis of the hands and lack of organizational commitment to appropriate hand hygiene. The purpose of this educational program is to describe the role hands play in the transmission of microorganisms, identify appropriate indications and techniques for hand hygiene, and to discuss hand hygiene adherence rates as well as strategies to increase compliance with recommended hand hygiene practices in healthcare facilities.