compliance with hand hygien

[zahraa ali]

hi , every body

I need your helpe

give me your suggestions regarding compliance with hand hygien

we want to increase our staff compliance with hand hygien

[kool-aide, RN]

Hygiene has an "E" at the end.

[relgis15]

I'm sorry, if the fact that the number one cause of death in a hospital is infection, isn't enough for your staff to wash their hands, then there is nothing you can do.

[RKpianoman, APRN]

At a hospital I worked at this summer, if you suspected someone needed to wash their hands, you simply raised both hands up where they could see you (like doctors do on all the TV shows), if that didn't get the point across you were supposed to say "hands up", and if THAT didn't work, you were supposed to politely ask them to wash their hands. And if that all didn't work, they were supposed to be reported and officially reprimanded.

I'm not sure if the policy helped or not, but I did see a few people do the "hands up" sign to each other in patients' rooms.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Make it convenient. I can't tell you how annoying it is to have to search for foam. We've got it mount EVERYWHERE on the walls, but if it runs out, it takes an act of Congress to get replacement cans.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

At a hospital I worked at this summer, if you suspected someone needed to wash their hands, you simply raised both hands up where they could see you (like doctors do on all the TV shows), if that didn't get the point across you were supposed to say "hands up", and if THAT didn't work, you were supposed to politely ask them to wash their hands. And if that all didn't work, they were supposed to be reported and officially reprimanded.

And if your suspicion wasn't correct and they had already washed their hands? Was there a symbolic way to tell the person with their hands up in the air that they can stop babysitting you now?

[RKpianoman, APRN]

And if your suspicion wasn't correct and they had already washed their hands? Was there a symbolic way to tell the person with their hands up in the air that they can stop babysitting you now?

No, I felt it was somewhat childish; but, it did make people think about handwashing.

[mindlor]

monitor, if you find people who are not washing hands, then fire them

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

zahraa, why don't they wash their hands? It seems you need to determine that before doing something to encourage it. Otherwise you might not be doing something that would make a difference...

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our hospital had a huge inititative for handwashing. We were mandated to go to an inservice..it was offered every 2 hours for 3 days, day and night. Then we had to demonstrate to our handwashing champion that we did it right. Might sound stupid, but you wouldn't believe how many people did not scrub, wash or sanitize right. Esp in the area I work in. We do a 3 minute scrub in.....3 minutes is pretty long when you are scrubbing...most of us thought we were done in about 1.5 minutes.

We have signage to remind people and if we see someone that we aren't sure if they washed in we simply say, "Hi, did you wash up?" They either say yes, or whoops I forgot and they wash.

We have people that come and observe each unit and if people forget to wash in or out of a patient care area then they are given a reminder. Repeat offenders get to go to a class.

Worst handwashing offenders....many surgeons! It was amazing to us that they were the ones we had to remind the most to wash up before touching patients!

[suga_junkie, BSN, RN]

At my hospital we are required to do a hand hygiene certification annually (online test). There are also alcohol gel bottles on the end of every bed, outside every room at the door and on many dressing trolleys. I'm just a student but having them so easily available is definitely a good reminder to gel my hands upon entering, exiting a room and between patients in a room.

[kool-aide, RN]

And if your suspicion wasn't correct and they had already washed their hands? Was there a symbolic way to tell the person with their hands up in the air that they can stop babysitting you now?

It's called the middle finger. hahahahahaha