Objective To survey the knowledge of hand hygiene among nurses and to identify factors influencing the performance of hand hygiene.Methods A questionnaire of hand hygiene developed according to the Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health Care Settings was used to investigate nurses’ knowledge about hand hygiene.Results The average score for nurses’ knowledge about hand hygiene was 18.59±2.19 out of a possible maximum score of 21. Knowledge about hand hygiene among nurses varied significantly in different departments (P=0.004). The main self-reported factors influencing the performance of hand hygiene were irritation and dryness caused by hand-washing agents (73.44%) and busy workload (65.53%).Conclusions Nurses generally have good knowledge about hand hygiene but are less aware of some hand hygiene indications. Effective measures are needed to improve compliance with hand hygiene among nurses.