Once done with school and in a real job, do nurses still wash their hands???

[semester1kid]

I ask that somewhat facetiously...but on our last clinical, after observing that we use the sanitizer every time we enter and leave a room, some of the nurses on the staff asked if we were afraid that we'd 'catch something'. I was thrown off by the question and asked them to clarify what they meant...they specifically said 'we keep seeing you guys using the sanitizer every time you enter and leave a room'...the question (of course) made me scratch my head:confused:

[sharpeimom]

yes! ... and under our watches etc.

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

[Intern67]

Yikes. I've seen very good hygeine at the 2 nursing home and 2 hospitals I have worked or done clinicals.

[talaxandra]

My hospital audits twice a year for hygeine. We have sanitiser outside every patient's room, in the room, at the foot of the bed, outside the tea room, outside the drug room, outside the steriroom, outside the staff toilets... plus posters displaying handwashing technique and infection controls stats at each basin and signs saying "gel in, gel out" at patient doorways. We go through bucketloads of it, so someone's using it - and I assume it's not just me :)

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Yes, I still wash my hands and use hand sanitizer. Too many of the residents at the nursing home where I am employed have hepatitis C, pneumonia, wounds infected with MRSA and VRE, and other infectious microbes. It's better to be safe than sorry...

[newbiepnp, MSN, RN, NP, CNS]

At the hospital where I volunteer, it is strictly enforced - gel in, gel out.

[nursel56]

I've always washed my hands both before and after patient care. If I wanted to find out when someone was going to lunch, I most likely would not gel my hands, walk in, ask the question and gel them again as I walked out.

[aussiemom]

In clinicals, I've observed excellent nurses who sanitized their hands before and after working with pts. And in the OR, it's a must! Some actually have very strong preferences whether they like to sanitize or use soap and water to wash. I got major kudos for using an alcohol wipe to clean a pen that fell on the floor before I used it! It was my first day on the unit and I think they were "sizing me up". Perhaps a little OCD but I don't want to get myself or anyone else sick.

[Rednights]

Questionable nursing practices or lack of on that floor ...

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I gel before I go in, wash my hands after pt care, and gel again as I leave followed by some hand lotion. My dry, red, cracked hands are proof positive that I wash/gel.

I guess I'm old school, I'd rather wash my hands with warm, soapy water than use the sanitizing gel. But I do use it.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

Oh my gosh, yes. Some aren't as vigilant about it as others, but I mean, hospitals have a vested interest in making sure their employees have good hand hygiene because Medicare is no longer paying for nosocomial infections. Our hospital gets about 50% of its revenue from Medicare/caid!

[afox]

You could call me anal, but I think i'm just being safe. I ALWAYS wash my hands, AND sanitize them AND wear fresh gloves between patients/residents.

Unfortunately, I witnessed a situation where handwashing was few and far between. It wasnt by an RN but by a few CNA's. After I got my CNA License I got a 3rd shift job @ a local LTC facility. The first thing I noticed was that the CNA's werent wearing gloves when they were doing rounds and changing MANY different patients breifs. On top of that they werent washing their hands between patients.

As if that wasnt bad enough, they didnt wipe the residents who had pee'd, I heard some of them swearing in front of residents. One told a resident "how bad her !t stank" and the icing on the cake was when 3 of us went to answer a call light (since I was still training), the two girls (who werent wearing gloves) took out their nose rings, and wiped them on their scrubs, then exchanged nose rings...entered the residents room, and had physical contact with them, then went back to the nursing station.

Needless to say, I didnt come in for my next shift. I called and said I would no longer be working for them, and I then left a message for the Shift Coordinator (who was off that evening) and explained everything i saw.