All of the following statements regarding hand hygiene in healthcare settings are true except which one?
a. the overall adherence of hcws to fundamental principles of infection control and aseptic technique (e. g., failure to wear gloves and perform hand hygiene) is low.
b. poor adherence to hand hygiene practices is a primary contributor to healthcare-associated infection.
c. hand hygiene is not necessary if gloves are worn.
d. the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections is decreased as adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices is improved.