Tips and tricks?

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Specializes in Emergency.

I'm a new Infection Prevention Nurse. Part of my job responsibilities are to work with the staff on IP programs, like hand hygiene, and isolation compliance.

I do informal sessions, where I carry around questions, and provide rewards for participation. It is usually chocolate, or Starbucks Via coffee packs. The staff so far have responded well (I mean it is chocolate.). our hand hygiene rates are improving!

I would like to provide something like the individual purse sized sanitizing gels for infection Prevention week....but it is "out of our budget" (We have like, NO budget). Have any of you had any success in getting companies to sponsor and provide such items? How did you do it? Were there conflicts if these items were provided by a company (you know the brand name on it and all that?

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

There is a forum for infection control nurses you might want to check out. I have the impression that individual lotion and hand-sanitizer gels are not promoted by CDC since they can actually spread infection. Something about the way they are handled and the way they come out of the container. Anyway, I like your idea of positive re-inforcement.

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Specializes in Emergency.

The Infection Prevention part of the board is not really widely read, so I thought I'd see what people in education are doing!

Individual hand gels are OK with the CDC, as long as they are not worn on the person ( and then carried patient to patient) or "topped off" when nearing empty, just like soap containers and lotion containers should not be topped off.

The ones I was looking at were actually one time use packets...they sound so cheap at 36 cents a bunch, but add up the employees...and WOW. I think I will stick to begging from Starbucks!!!!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

We tried a very simple game once, using the glow powder. Use a black light to show the "germs" on hands. You can use a small toy shaped like a "bug" for visual effect, or stethoscope as a fomite. Directions come with the glow powder. I know it sounds elementary, but people enjoy doing it.

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Specializes in Emergency.

We use the glow powder.. I like to use it with Education on days where we have Mock codes. It's great fun.

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