"Ask me if my hands are clean"

[bethin]

Worked last Thursday and what do I walk into? Hundreds (no joke) of yellow stickers with a big smiley face saying "ask me if my hands are clean".

Am I five years old? Do I need to be reminded? I use alcohol in between pts and wash my hands when I arrive on the floor, before I leave the floor, before and after the br and before and after eating. Also wash after taking care of a pt with c diff or MRSA.

It looks tacky. So I went around and ripped them off walls and computers. I'm curious to see if they'll reappear. My coworkers won't tell, they hate the things too but they don't want to be held responsible if found out.

So, for now, we are sticker free! But the next step will probably be a button we wear that says "ask me if my hands are clean".

[Tangerine Lipgloss]

There were buttons where I last worked. I never wore it. I went home and showed my husband and he was irate! He said "What are you all 2 years old? You are professionals for crissake!"

[Xbox Live Addict]

I wonder what prompted this kind of "customer service" BS? That is bloody juvenile.

Another product of the "customer service hotel" orientation of today's hospitals, all this does is give irate patients one more thing to be suspicious of nurses over, like they need anything else for that, as well as insulting the intelligence of the nurses.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I'd probably tear them down too.

Please, let me take care of my patients.

But if you're going to ask me, please ask:

docs (!) (!) (!)

radiology

lab

pt/ot

dietary

housekeeping

social work

educators, and

admin

as well. Thanks.

[Cardiac-RN]

I would love to stick up some of my own buttons:

(for doctors) Ask me if I've washed my tie!

lol.

All the nurses I work with are OCD about handwashing- its the (old school) docs who like to slip in and out without washing first, not to mention all of the things they touch without wearing gloves:nono:

but honestly, it reminds me of what I say to my five year old child when he has finished with the bathroom. when patients equate nurses to children who need to be followed up on for basic hygiene, there is a problem.

[bethin]

I wonder what prompted this kind of "customer service" BS? That is bloody juvenile.

Another product of the "customer service hotel" orientation of today's hospitals, all this does is give irate patients one more thing to be suspicious of nurses over, like they need anything else for that, as well as insulting the intelligence of the nurses.

More than likely a product from our manager. Her boss (nursing supervisor) is above this kind of crap. She's level headed.

This manager has also told me she doesn't know how to do patient care. She's been a nurse for 35 years. I'd hope by now she'd figure it out.

I'm currently looking elsewhere for employment. Not because of this issue, but other stuff that the manager has turned a blind eye on.

[ebear, BSN, RN]

I'd consider sticking the stickers up the rear end of whoever came up with the idea! :angryfire

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

This manager has also told me she doesn't know how to do patient care.

As they say down here, "Do what?" :trout:

[Xbox Live Addict]

More than likely a product from our manager. Her boss (nursing supervisor) is above this kind of crap. She's level headed.

This manager has also told me she doesn't know how to do patient care. She's been a nurse for 35 years. I'd hope by now she'd figure it out.

I'm currently looking elsewhere for employment. Not because of this issue, but other stuff that the manager has turned a blind eye on.

Ahhh, the plot thickens. Get the patients all riled up about how clean their nurses' hands are and maybe they won't notice all the other crap that's going wrong in their unit.

[Oz2]

I'll tell you a scary story...

My friend told me that her nurse friend told her that you don't actually have to wash your hands....you just have to rub them together vigorously and the heat kills the germs. No kidding.

It kinda makes me wonder if there are some nurses out there that don't take the hand-washing thing too seriously. I would imagine that constant washing gets hard on the skin as well, so maybe some nurses could use some reminding?

Don't get me wrong...I think those stickers are a joke. Surely there's a better way?

ETA: The stickers are probably less a reminder for the nurses than they are for patients who are now paranoid about all the MRSA in the news...make them feel confident that their nurse's hands are washed?

[Xbox Live Addict]

I'll tell you a scary story...

My friend told me that her nurse friend told her that you don't actually have to wash your hands....you just have to rub them together vigorously and the heat kills the germs. No kidding.

It kinda makes me wonder if there are some nurses out there that don't take the hand-washing thing too seriously. I would imagine that constant washing gets hard on the skin as well, so maybe some nurses could use some reminding?

Don't get me wrong...I think those stickers are a joke. Surely there's a better way?

Yeah, but come on... they shouldn't lump those of us who do what we're supposed to do, including washing our hands after possibly being exposed to gross body secretions, bacteria, and viruses, in with the few people who are too lazy to do the right thing. Take these people into the manager's office for 1:1 counselling.

You'd better believe I take hand-washing seriously. I always wear gloves when I work, but I always wash up. I don't want to contract hepatitis C, and I don't want to bring it home to friends or family either.

[Oz2]

I agree, Andreas, they shouldn't lump you. I added something to my post I don't think you saw...what I think the stickers might really be about....

"ETA: The stickers are probably less a reminder for the nurses than they are for patients who are now paranoid about all the MRSA in the news...make them feel confident that their nurse's hands are washed?"