"Ask me if my hands are clean"

elizabells, BSN, RN · Nov 20, 2007

We had to wear clear plastic ID badge holders with a little pocket underneath for whatever idiotic phrase they'd come up with for the season. Hospital slogans, etc. For nearly a year it was "ask me if my hands are clean". The best part is that the inside of the ID holder would fill up with the various dust motes and detritus one acquires by existing in New York City. So I have this filthy looking thing around my neck proclaiming "Ask me if my hands are clean". And did they have any extras when I asked for a new one? Nope. Can't make this stuff up, people.

bethin · Nov 20, 2007

We had to wear clear plastic ID badge holders with a little pocket underneath for whatever idiotic phrase they'd come up with for the season. Hospital slogans, etc. For nearly a year it was "ask me if my hands are clean". The best part is that the inside of the ID holder would fill up with the various dust motes and detritus one acquires by existing in New York City. So I have this filthy looking thing around my neck proclaiming "Ask me if my hands are clean". And did they have any extras when I asked for a new one? Nope. Can't make this stuff up, people.

Maybe they should have a slogan "ask me if my badge is clean."

I do clean my ID badges with alcohol after every shift. I also clean my pens with alcohol.

bethin · Nov 20, 2007

As they say down here, "Do what?" :trout:

Yes, our NM, been a nurse for about 35 years, started out on med surg floor and now manages same floor. Been at this hospital for 35 years. She does not know how to do pt care. I don't know if she means she doesn't know how to give a bath, toilet a pt, etc or what she means. I hope she still knows how to do a med pass.

When I brought up a safety concern I had she responded "I'm so glad you told me. If people don't tell me, I don't know."

She's great outside of work. But at work, she's useless - online shopping, cell phone calls, etc.

Agnus · Nov 20, 2007

Worked last Thursday and what do I walk into? Hundreds (no joke) of yellow stickers with a big smiley face saying "ask me if my hands are clean".
Am I five years old? Do I need to be reminded? I use alcohol in between pts and wash my hands when I arrive on the floor, before I leave the floor, before and after the br and before and after eating. Also wash after taking care of a pt with c diff or MRSA.
It looks tacky. So I went around and ripped them off walls and computers. I'm curious to see if they'll reappear. My coworkers won't tell, they hate the things too but they don't want to be held responsible if found out.
So, for now, we are sticker free! But the next step will probably be a button we wear that says "ask me if my hands are clean".

No. Now if you would like to know if I washed my hands. Thank you for asking, yes I did.

There is a big difference between clean hands and washed hands.

Suppose I showed you my hands; you could not tell from looking if they were clean. You would probably guess "yes" from their appearance.

We have already seen informal studies done where a sparkling kitchen had a higher colony count than one that appeared slightly dirty.

elizabells, BSN, RN · Nov 20, 2007

I do clean my ID badges with alcohol after every shift. I also clean my pens with alcohol.

I do too! I have my own personal hemostats that I use for sticky IV connections and such - those get a rubdown as well. I've tried poking alcohol pledgets down into my badge holder, but nothing gets out the bits of grime in the corner. I think I must have taken my work bag to the beach or something, because it looks like sand...

psalm, RN · Nov 20, 2007

I have a wicked idea!! If asked if my hands are clean, I can say,"just the left one"...would make them wonder why my right hand isn't. P.S. I am right-handed...and it's allergy season...

Sabby_NC · Nov 20, 2007

I hate stickers laying around the place!!

Why I would just request I WEAR one on my forehead. I would even wear color coordiated geat hahahahahaha:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Ya poor duckie I would change the scene too.

Come work with Sabby no steenkin' yellow stickies here.

BUT I do wash my paws!!;) :lol2: :lol2:

cmo421 · Nov 20, 2007

Actually, stickers and reminders like that one come out of infection control. Surveying done on floors, er's,clinics, show that nurses ,doc's and ancillary personnel do not always follow protocol when it comes to hand cleaning. Medicare will stop reimbursing hospitals within the next few years for certain hospital acquired infections. It is shown statistically that many hospital induced infections are transmitted from poor hand washing. While u might be a pro at this, I bet that u can name many docs and fellow employees that are not. Stickers,while seeming juvinile,are just one way of trying to get the word out. Peer accountability also comes in here. Do u say something to those u see not follow protocol? It could mean the loss of a raise in a few years from the hospital losing millions in reinbursement.Just a FYI.

EmmaG, RN · Nov 20, 2007

This manager has also told me she doesn't know how to do patient care.

As ChurchLady used to say, "How convenient"

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 20, 2007

....I do clean my ID badges with alcohol after every shift. I also clean my pens with alcohol.

I do that, too. Plus bleach my shoes qd. I clean the unit phones and keyboards with Clorox wipes daily.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 20, 2007

I want to wear these stickers at work-

(click on this one- it goes psycho)

Noryn · Nov 20, 2007

This is so ridiculous. See I am a rear end, hence I have had 6 jobs in the past 10 years but I swear I would have stickers made up and placed in administration saying, "Ask me if I have defrauded medicare today".

Nurses usually do not wash their hands adequately because they are too busy or they just do not care or are too lazy. Stickers wont address these problems.