I am a nurse new to home health visits (but not HH, as I worked private duty/shift work in the home)
ALL of the HH nurses I observed while precepting did not wash their hands with soap and water. They just used hand sanitizer. In facilities and in PDN we are taught to wash our hands at start of care and after using hand sanitizer three times. But HH nurses use sanitizer all of the time.
When I work in the home as a Pdn, I ALWAYS washed my hands and use hand sanitizer if needed.
What prevents HH nurses from washing their hands? We could carry soap and paper towels. Most people in my area have running water.
I am genuinely curious if other HH nurses wash their hands in the patient's home using soap and water?
Why are you going to wash 3 times? If done correctly you use either soap and water for 20-30 seconds (also in someone’s house what is there for drying—might not have appropriate towel/paper towels) or appropriate amount of 70% alcohol sanitizer for 20 seconds. Use PPE properly as well, and you will be fine.
Runsoncoffee means that after using hand sanitizer 3 different times, the next time should be soap and water.
I see. Now that I think about it, most patients in private duty do not have disposable paper towels. Most only have a cloth towel or nothing at all, and agency does not supply paper towels. I almost never use the cloth hand towels. I just use tissue paper.
My agencies do supply paper towels. My preference is to dry with a clean washcloth that I hang up and reuse. I know that it starts out clean. (I don't know that with the client's bathroom hand towel.)
Kitiger, RN
1,834 Posts
Runsoncoffee means that after using hand sanitizer 3 different times, the next time should be soap and water.