No handwashing equals fines?

[sara42105]

I live in southwestern PA and there was an article in the newspaper regarding one of the local health systems initiating fines for employess not washing hands. The physicians will be fined $1,000 and employees would be sent home without pay. I do not work in this health system and my system has not yet had to "crack down" on this issue. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what impact has it had? Does it work? Thank you in advance for your response!!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

per nrskarenrn, co-administrator:

upmc threatens to fine employees

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11033/1122252-114.stm

so the financial hit to an average-paid nurse (i'm using a figure of $25/hr.) who works 12-hr. shifts is more than a resident/fellow, but less than an attending physician. interesting.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Most RNs probably make a lot more per hour than a resident.

[Turd Ferguson]

So who's going to cover for these "other workers" that are sent home?

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Most RNs probably make a lot more per hour than a resident.

Residencies generally pay $40K to $45K a year - less than many nurses - yes, I am aware. I was just commenting on the larger scheme of things.

[tokidoki7, ASN, RN]

This same hospital is also requiring that every single patient- independent and total care- have at their beside chlorhexidine for bathing. I gave a couple bottles to my patients- who didn't use them and left them after they were discharged. Since those bottles couldn't be returned to the supply room, they were thrown away.

Instead of fining people or sending them home (especially since there's never enough staff anyway), a good idea would be to have lotion dispensers on the walls. The hand sanitizer used at the hospital peels the skin off my hands and washing them constantly makes them dry and itchy.

[steelcityrn, RN]

Good old U.P.M.C. The hospital with the huge fist and foot ready to stomp on their staff again. Typical.

[barbyann]

I might purposefully not wash my hands on my weekend....since were not allowed to take our weekend off.

omg...yes, yes, yes I'll help. If I'm charge I'll call staffing and say I just sent home "Pat" after she violated the strict handwashing policy. OMG love it.

[RNKPCE]

"and send other workers home for a day without paywho ignore "education" by around-the-clock staff monitoring areas where the infected patients are confined."

So those nurses who are left will be punished and now they will have less time to wash their hands because they will have more patients................then they will be sent home because they have to rush out of room to prevent their 7th patient from falling and didn't have time to wash their hands................... this could go on until there are no nurses left on a unit.

[Noimanurse]

Its also alot easier to not mess with sterile technique while placing a urinary catheter. The sterile gloves in the cath. kits don't fit my hands, it would be alot easier to just pull a pair of large clean gloves from the box in the room rather than hunting a larger set of sterile gloves down, not mess with the cotton and iodine, just lube it and go...it'll be alright?

While I think fines are a bit overbearing, hand washing is very important. How about just a write up for not washing, after a certain number of write ups...you are out the door...I'm sure that would work just as well, and keep the infection rate down.

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

Its also alot easier to not mess with sterile technique while placing a urinary catheter. The sterile gloves in the cath. kits don't fit my hands, it would be alot easier to just pull a pair of large clean gloves from the box in the room rather than hunting a larger set of sterile gloves down, not mess with the cotton and iodine, just lube it and go...it'll be alright?

While I think fines are a bit overbearing, hand washing is very important. How about just a write up for not washing, after a certain number of write ups...you are out the door...I'm sure that would work just as well, and keep the infection rate down.

The problem is with how this is going to be documented and observed. Is every person employed going to have someone watching over them all the time? I can see a real problem with he said/she said.

I don't think any of us willfully ignore sterile technique or handwashing, but just touching the computer keyboard now requires handwashing afterwards. Again, where's the common sense?

[mudd68]

My facility recently hired what are called "hand washing auditors." And you may or may not know that they are on your unit.They basically observe all staff, Nurses, MD's, RT's, PT, OT, etc...All personal had to attend an in-service conducted by infectious disease before the program was implemented and effective Jan 1st, the policy was in place. The policy states...you must wash hands (for 20 seconds/sing happy birthday x2) or use alcohol based gel when appropriate (they installed units at each bedside and outside of each room) before and after entering a room. Even if you only touch inanimate objects like the IV pump or bedside table. If you are observed not following policy, your name is taken down and it goes into your employee file. This is the file they pull when doing yearly reviews for raises, promotions, and such. And of course there is progressive discipline involved up to and including termination. They implemented this policy after a spike in MDRO infections in our facility and after culturing literally every room in the hospital. They were finding organisms on things pt's never touch like the monitor screens in ICU's, stethoscopes, boxes of gloves, you name it...they cultured it. I think this type of monitoring is up and coming and not going away! Of course during an emergency...you are not expected to stop and wash.

:spbox:

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

At a hospital I did clinical, the staff wore these badge things that would somehow record whether or not they used the hand sanitizer. A signal was somehow sent from the hand sanitizer dispenser.