Great New Reasons to Wash Your Hands, Often!

Nurses General Nursing

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We as Nurses know this one. We even know little cute ways to know how long to wash them(i.e. alphabet song, happy birthday, etc.). A new study conducted by our University Hospital's Medical Tech Program reminded me that Bacterial Colonies, Fungal Spores, and Viruses love the things we touch the most!

Here is the list of the top 10 "most infected" surfaces according to 10 Students swabbing 218 Inpatient Hospital Items.

10. Toilet Flush Lever

9. Soap Dispenser Button

8. Salt/Pepper Shaker in Staff Cafeteria(see #6)

7. Rim of sink(cleaned daily)

6. Cafeteria Cleaning rag

5. An Elevator button(Ground Floor)

4. Water Fountain Handle

3. (TIE) A Patient's Bed's TV Button and Handle of a Patient's Thermos

2. A Stethoscope's Bell(Owned by Infection Control RN)

1. Nursing Desk Phone

..."best(Worst?) in show"? The "S" key of one of the "Staff Only" Computers. Now I think "Staph Computer" may better sum it up.

"Dishonorable" Mentions: Some surfaces' ranks that didn't make the top 10 included a toilet seat(#88), a hearing aid(#31), a BSC(#47), an Emesis Basin(#20), a used tube of Wound Gel (#11), and an abandoned pair of Dentures left in moist Zip-Lock bag (#12)!!!

Do you have any advice for Infection Control Methods?

What are some disturbing things you have seen, that, if given the authority to change, it would be safer/more sanitary?

Do you wash your hands in patients' room for them to witness?

Is enough hand hygiene taught at your facility, and if so do you see it being followed?

Feel free to answer one or more, or just leave a comment if you wish.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

toilet seat(#88).

That impresses me. I only wish the phobic people would stop ******* on the toilet seats and not having the decency to wipe their urine off of it or lift it like we'd expect any man to do (since they **** on the seats). It is gross to walk into a stall and see urine splattered on the seats. And it's the ones that are afraid of toilet seats that make the mess.

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

(If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweety, and wipe the seaty). I worked in a small country hospital where a sign read "Please flush only toilet paper in this toilet." I know what they meant, but I wanted to stick a little goldfish net up there on a 3M hanger with small plastic bags just be evil, lol! (Staff Bathroom)

I'm freaked that a re-usable water bottle, on the third fill up, is as sanitary as drinking lake or swamp water. Eat a cert please/thank you:)

Germs live everywhere. They co-exist with us but if we each individual takes a minute of our time clean these everyday use items infectious diseases will reduce significantly. I always wipe down my phone intralink when I have them. I saw CNA did the unimaginable thing holding poop (gloved) but when the phone rang she picked it up answered it and put it back in her pocket with poopy gloves. Yike! Education! That's a no no!!!

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

I hope she has a seat belt on her toilet.

Some people are very cultured:)

I can't believe we haven't gone down the Fomite Road yet :)

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

My Whole Post is in Honor of the Infamous Fomite:)

I'm so glad you brought that up though, because this thread is definitely not "Fomite and Fancy Free.":p

I'm not a germophobe but I know how easy transference is so I will make a point in dousing sinks, taps and the air in boiling hot water followed by gel sanitizer and the air gets glen 20. Ohh and I will use hot water and detergent to clean baruches.

I'm a freak for everything being clean

We swabbed some sites in our hospital once, and I'm pretty sure the ward telephones were highest on the list! Gross!

I'm freaked that a re-usable water bottle, on the third fill up, is as sanitary as drinking lake or swamp water. Eat a cert please/thank you:)

Is that true or is it just a myth the water companies come out with to make you buy new bottles each time? I refill and reuse mine for at least a week, sometimes more.

how about the pyxis?

Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

I use sanitizer in the room and offer some to the patient and family...

Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.

I've often thought about the bedside curtains........

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