Hand Hygiene

Good hand hygiene: It not only helps protect you from harmful diseases, but it can protect others around you as well. When it comes to patient safety, it’s extra important.

Unfortunately, researchers in the United Kingdom discovered that the use of gloves reduces the level of hand hygiene.  

It was also found that health care providers had improved their hand hygiene practices when they knew they were being watched and videotaped.  

Here are some tips for successful hand hygiene that was published in the November issue of Nursing2011: 

1. Keep it simple - format CDC guidelines into simple messages and define dirty and clean zones.
2. Place hand-hygiene products where they're needed - at the point of care and at the entrance to and exit from the patient environment.
3. Integrate hand hygiene needs into workflow.
4. Ensure multidisciplinary involvement.
5. Provide ongoing education.
6. Monitor compliance and share results.
7. Remember the direct impact of hand hygiene on patients and families.

Photo:  SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget; Flickr

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005