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]

At my hospital we have secret hand washing auditors. It can be anyone, a nurse, charge nurse, CNA, unit secretary, etc.

The problem we have ran into with one of the auditors is she turns people in for not using sanitizer foam when someone leaves a pt room, but she would have no idea if that person had actually washed their hands with soap and water before leaving the room. I have been named in the audit before because of this--I prefer to wash my hands at the sink because the foam irritates my skin and so I've been dinged for this.

[RNperdiem, RN]

In a perfect unit, I would have a canister of hand sanitizer mounted outside every door in the same spot so I wouldn't have to go searching around for one.

Where I work, there is hand sanitizer in every room, but it is often across the room or mounted in an awkward to reach spot.

A couple more sinks outside patient rooms would be nice too.

When we have patients on C-diff precautions, we cannot use hand sanitizer so must use the one available sink on the unit.

Make it easy. That is the first step.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

And PLEASE don't make it anything juvenile. Nothing kills morale faster or is less effective in getting professionals to comply with something than treating them like kindergarteners. Things like that "hands in the air" policy just get me in a tizzy. Reminds me of our experience with the Yacker Tracker on my unit. We'd have fun seeing what loud sounds made it go off and what loud sounds didn't make it go off. Not exactly the best way to quiet a unit down.

[Flo., BSN, RN]

A huge thing for me is to provide quality hand gel and lotion. By the end of the day the cheap stuff leaves my hands bleeding. I love cal stat.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

We had a huge problem on my unit so they came down on us like flies on white rice. We have the secret shopper people that watch you wash your hands and fill out a form with how compliant you are.

Since I was one that got roped into being a secret shopper, I was appalled to see how many would either gel/wash in, out but not usually both. After awhile I wasn't quiet about it and would get down on people for not washing/gelling. Now when they see me they hold up their hands and show me they are wet, lol.

Yeah, I'm known as the handwashing Nazi, but our scores have climbed and hands are being washed.

[florence66]

You're protecting yourself, as well as patients, when employing proper hand hygiene. why on earth wouldn't people want to do that? anyway, I think what the other posters have said about having hand gel readily available and a consistent educational focus/policy helps a great deal. Hospital visitors really appreciate the hand gel dispensers we have located on just about every wall too.

[Thujone]

Wash hands or be fired?

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

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.

This!! There is a bottle of alcohol moisturizer in every room and outside of every room...

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

What is your staff trying to do go green by saving water lol .We learn to wash our hands when we are children, I don't understand why some adults cannot take 30 seconds to wash their hands. Not only it protects the patients but they can also protect themselves. If nurses don't wash their hands they are in the wrong profession.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I hate hand sanitizer!!!! There, I said it!! I will wash my hands, but the feel of the sanitizer makes my skin crawl. I hope facilities are telling staff that after 7 uses of sanitizer, it is no longer effective and they need to use soap and water. Please have a lotion dispenser close to the sanitizer. Many companies that sell the sanitizer also sell lotion that works with it.