Today, administrators launched a handwashing campaign, part of which includes having patient care staff wear giant buttons that say, "Ask me if I washed my hands!" Patients are encouraged to ask this of their nurse/CNA/etc. every time s/he walks into their room. Every time.
I find this incredibly insulting both to my intelligence and to my professional practice as an RN. I cannot imagine what patients must be thinking: does it imply that we don't know enough to wash our hands? What else do they need to be checking up on, if we can't be trusted to have washed our hands after patient contact?
I understand that the aim is to decrease the spread of microorganisms. We all learned that in Nursing Fundamentals. I've listened to all the inservices on handwashing, antimicrobial foam and gel, and standard precautions ad nauseum. But this is way over the top. I don't ask my mechanic if he remembered to put all the parts back in my car and I don't ask my accountant if she used a calculator to figure out my taxes. I don't think I should be asked over and over if I'm doing my job, either.
We've had a hard enough time trying to be recognized as professionals without this nonsense. If I wanted to wear giant silly buttons at work I'd be waiting tables at TGI Fridays.
I told one of the administrators I'd consider wearing one if all the docs had to wear them, too. It's been a long time since I've seen some of them lather up before performing a bare-handed dressing change.
go read the general forum about the guy that watched a nurse cath a patient bare handed, after dumping another patients urinal bare handed...without washing her hands...
And a button would solve this? I hate to think of all the germs on these buttons after worn day after day.
the point is whining over the button
people gettin so indigninat over the button and say why me why us?
Today, administrators launched a handwashing campaign, part of which includes having patient care staff wear giant buttons that say, "Ask me if I washed my hands!" Patients are encouraged to ask this of their nurse/CNA/etc. every time s/he walks into their room. Every time.
I find this incredibly insulting both to my intelligence and to my professional practice as an RN. I cannot imagine what patients must be thinking: does it imply that we don't know enough to wash our hands? What else do they need to be checking up on, if we can't be trusted to have washed our hands after patient contact?
I understand that the aim is to decrease the spread of microorganisms. We all learned that in Nursing Fundamentals. I've listened to all the inservices on handwashing, antimicrobial foam and gel, and standard precautions ad nauseum. But this is way over the top. I don't ask my mechanic if he remembered to put all the parts back in my car and I don't ask my accountant if she used a calculator to figure out my taxes. I don't think I should be asked over and over if I'm doing my job, either.
We've had a hard enough time trying to be recognized as professionals without this nonsense. If I wanted to wear giant silly buttons at work I'd be waiting tables at TGI Fridays.
I told one of the administrators I'd consider wearing one if all the docs had to wear them, too. It's been a long time since I've seen some of them lather up before performing a bare-handed dressing change.
This thread, or what I have seen of it, is a pity party over the fact that nurses were made to wear buttons, yet it has had very little posts that said, yeah, we need to make sure that we are all washing our hands. I said that the buttons were a bad idea, but the fact that hand washing is so lax is far more important than having a patient remind you to wash your hands.
That's because demeaning nurses has nothing to do with infection control.
I can't remember EVER discussing infection control in this thread, except to say it's not what is at issue with this button.
You want to discuss infection control with me? Start in a forum that doesn't make me dismiss EVERYTHING you say AFTER you summarily demeaned me.
I won't discuss infection control here, because it's not at issue. And no matter how hard you want to make it THAT issue, the button itself denies that.
It is, which is why the fixation on "whining" is pretty out-of-place here.
Sarcasm much?
The OP said they understood the need for handwashing and infection control but was insulted BECAUSE SHE had to wear the button..this is a whine about having to wear the button...
does it imply that we don't know enough to wash our hands? What else do they need to be checking up on, if we can't be trusted to have washed our hands after patient contact?
That's exactly what it implies, and you know what? IT'S TRUE! Studies show again and again that health care workers, both doctors, nurses, CNAs, and techs, fail to perform handwashing at the appropriate times. Nosocomial infections are a serious, extremely common problem that prolongs hospital stays, compromises patients' health, and costs hospitals tons of money. Patients are not stupid, and they should be encouraged to manage their care by asking such questions, testing your qualifications and knowledge until they reach a level of trust with you, and questioning anything and everything that is done to them. Fact is, so much sub-optimal care is delivered, and so many mistakes are made, patients MUST be really strong advocates for themselves!
I would encourage you to wear the pin proudly, and make a show of hand-sanitizing/washing whenever you walk into and out of a room, before moving from an infection free to possibly contiminated site on a patient, when removing gloves, and before touching the food or IV. Your patients will love you for it.
The OP said they understood the need for handwashing and infection control but was insulted BECAUSE SHE had to wear the button..this is a whine about having to wear the button...
yes originally when this first started , i whined and complained about having to wear the button, but it has turned into more than being about the button for me, i have read the post from this section , and there have been patients on this site that have gotten hurt because nurses or doctors have not washed thier hands, so to me i am learning alot from this section of posts. No i did not learn how to wash my hands , because i already do that. I am realizing that together we can all make a concious effort to wash our hands more. I am also learining that if i am the patient i should watch my surroundidngs more carefully. The button does not matter to me anymore....we are all responsible for our own actions and as a patient our own care to a certian extent ..
Another take that just came to mind (thanks to schooldays' post) is that as a nurse we are supposed to Patient advocates, and we should encourage the patients to ask all HCP folks to wash their hands, and lead the way as patient advocates and educators by wearing the button...
i had a hard time understanding you last post kevin, what ? the fact is, i wore the button proudly and my whole clinic wore the button proudly, but that dosent mean we did not have issues with the button. Anyway after a month the buttons were history because no one kept up with them, they were lost, we would take them off of our coats at the end of the day and eventually they dissapeared, it is just one more thing to keep up with and not to mention clean. I am not sure if the button should be cleaned at the end of the day or should it be cleaned after each patient, because where i work blood could get on it after each patient because we stick each patient we are with.
NurseKevin
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