Patients are told to ask nurses: have you washed?

It was called "Your Flair" and that movie was hilarious!!

Well, I don't like the badge at all, BUT, I would wear it. I spent some time as an observer in an ICU once, and I was appalled at how many staff didn't wash thier hands, and that was just nursing staff. So, yes, doctors may be the biggest offenders, but I see no threat to me personally for having to be accountable for washing my hands. Doctors should wear the dorky bottons, but of course they won't. That is on their conscience and the hospitals' for not making them accountable as well. I would have more of a problem wearing a badge that say's "Can I do anything else for you?" That would make me hurl!

I was going to mention this too. Our Infection Control department observed our nursing staff and some unacceptable figure (like 65%) did not wash hands between patients or after using the restroom.

With nosocomial infections up, with JCAHO's Patient Safety Goals which include handwashing, and with the simple fact that yes, docs AND nurses still don't get it, obviously as a profession we need to be policed.

It's sad but true.

This is nothing but terrific public health!

And before I go any further, nobody ever got a disease from being taken care of by a Jew, so the suggestion of wearing a yellow star is just stupid, unless you want to. I wear my crucifix daily.

Now--
1) No, it isn't just nurses who don't wash their hands, but not all nurses wash their hands! (I've seen this in the literature, plus I have personal observation to fall back on. For example, I was at a CE once, big crowd, and was spending my time waiting in line for a stall counting the number of people who washed versus the people who didn't--took my mind off my bladder--two who didn't had been talking about their work as nurses in a local hospital!)

2) By wearing the badge, we will be much, much less likely to forget to wash.

3) If patients are asking us if we washed our hands, they are also being reminded to wash!!!

4) And if they are asking the nurses, they will also be asking the aides, the dietary assistants, PT's, docs, visitors, if they washed their hands!

We know that handwashing is the single biggest way of stopping the spread of infections, so why should our backs be up if we get to be the vehicles for improving patient awareness and patient care? And general human hygiene and therefore public health? How many nosocomial infections are avoidable? (Some would say, all of them.) This is us nurses, getting to be role models!

IMHO, this bunk about hiding the badge, etc. suggests an awful lot about our arrogance ("who are you to ask me if I washed my hands?").

Patients have a RIGHT to be taken care of properly. For us to resent being asked by a patient if that is what they are getting reflects poorly on US as nurses and as professionals.

Gimme a badge! I want one! (Big surprise here, I also wear my ID badge so that people will know who I am, and I introduce myself--using my whole name--to my patients. I know that has been a debate on this BB in the past.)

I have no problem with patients asking me if I washed my hands, but I refuse to wear a button (I don't have a problem with the posters, my hospital started this campaign a few months ago).
The hospital has also been passing out buttons saying something like "ask me about becoming a magnet hospital" which I will not wear. It seems like the hospital is becoming more and more like a business every day instead of a place sick people come to get good care and to get well.
I would wear a badge that said "ask me if my hospital has adequate staffing" as one poster mentioned!!!

Thank you Nurse Bedlam for keeping us up to date with the nursing news from around the globe.
This twaddle came from England and needs to be resisted by those of us who regard ourselves as professionals!
Maybe we need to inroduce badges for domestic staff that say "Yes! Your dinner is warm!...and I washed my hands, just ask me"
Even better, get the medical staff to wear a badge stating that "I haven't been sued for malpractice..yet, but I washed my hands, just ask me"
Physios-"I abide by the stickiness of our walking stick stoppers and I washed my hands, just ask me"
Social work-"I've tried to help you out of a difficult situation, and I've got clean hands!"
Get all visitors to make a declaration! "I promise I have washed my hands before entering the clinical environment of our loved one"

and so on and so on and so on and so on................................

im not agianst the cleanliness issue,(as a matter of fact, im one of them freaks that uses all detol products at home). im against having patients questioning me about it.why werent these badges issued to doctors too? why is it that the publics eye is focused on us nurse's only? this in my opinion is discrimination.
come on, we know our job perfectly, moreover putting those badges on, is just like the hospital saying "test the cleanliness of our staff"

YOU may wash your hands, but NOT all nurses do. So unfortunately, the high rates of nosocomial infections disagrees with you.

I don't know a single nurse who doesn't have some kind of problem with her hands BECAUSE of the frequent washing we do with the chemical cleansers provided.

Coworkers of mine bring special cleansers and someone steals it from the bathroom...so they have to be creative, use a babywipe or gel for the timebeing.... Lots of explanations...but again, nurses always seem the target scapegoat in these 'studies'.. that say " _____% don't wash".

Those of you who want to wear buttons are buying into the problem, IMO. Why are other problems ignored? Like: work and floor surfaces that are sticky, equipment that is seldom disinfected, terminal cleans that are shoddy after VRE, (I've been pushed numerous times to admit to a VRE room ...just clean it yourself...doesn't matter if housekeeping is locked and cleaning supplies aren't available in the middle of the night) the list goes on and on. Sooo WHY this huge focus on nurses???

Because its easier to blame us than to look at all the other problems contributing to infection rates being out of control in facilities. And our 'nursing researchers' are just joining into the fray and giving hospitals what they want to hear.

Personally I feel nurses are doing the best we humanly can and facilities don't want to take ownership of the system problems.

Sorry...rant over now!!!

i'm so damn sick and tired of nurses being the scapegoats. i too, either carry a handcleaner w/me or wash in front of pt. it has to be a collaborative effort. i've also seen too many non-nsg. personnel not wash their hands. it would seem apparent to me that nurses are the forerunners in hand washing; why don't we just wear a badge with a smile "may i take your order please?"

leslie