laladybug

The Joint Commission encourages patients to feel comfortable asking caregivers to wash their hands or if they have washed their hands. The campaign is called "It's Ok to Ask". It is sad when we as caregivers don't clean our hands but 30% of the time, yet it has a huge negative impact on our patient's outcomes. Have you ever lost a loved one to a hospital acquired infection? You watch nurses who are educated and know better, yet they don't wash or disinfect their hands. How often do we properly disinfect IV tubing hubs before injecting medications or connecting IVPBs? If it wasn't a problem, it would not be in the spotlight. It is devastating to have a family member preparing to go home and suddenly develop sepsis and die in a hospital bed. Could this have been prevented? Maybe, if everyone followed strict infection control guidelines. I say if you are cleaning your hands in the patients rooms every time you enter, they will see that you have washed and not need to ask. However, if you haven't then they will feel comfortable asking. And yes, doctors should wear them also. One other thing, maybe you should look at from a positive side: I am not perfect and may forget to wash my hands. If I don't wash them in front of you, I would like for you to remind me. Your safety is always important to me.