Who Would Do It...Monitor Handwashing?

greenfiremajick · Feb 13, 2011

Wow. While hand hygiene is doubtless important, the concept of being monitored while performing it is definately creepy. Some of the local hospitals here (thankfully not the one I work in) make staff wear a tracking device while on the floor; I don't like it- it's like being microchipped. So Orwellian! :chair:

I feel the same way about how ridiculous it is to have to be monitored. My most recent assignment is to pick an area that covers JCAHO's standards, guidelines, etc for a specific area such as infection control. I saw a post on here previously, that discussed the new infrared devices being utilized in some facilities and figured I would put these devices in, as a part of that. The most interesting part about them, to me, is that they have to be utilized, at all. I mean how else can a facility ensure handwashing (as well as other) protocols are followed, when it becomes obvious that the workers in the facility are not adhering for whatever reason??

On the other side of that, are the posts I've seen here on AN, that discuss how nurses in the past, or more experienced nurses in the present, seem to think that gloves are silly for everyday type stuff..Or even those reports of nurses having sniffed, or licked their fingers to determine whether has C-diff or some such other issue going on! Wonder how often they washed their hands???

And as far being microchipped....A National Database/Directory has been discussed...Now THAT's CREEPY!!!!

GHGoonette, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2011

Awww, motivating staff to wash their hands between patients is such a nice, productive way for infection control to earn their keep-now they want to take it away from them and give it to a computer....

I think most of the cross-infection that occurs in hospitals is caused by doctors, who are notoriously careless about infection control. As someone previously mentioned, hand wash sensors would be better applied to our dear MDs and surgeons, who think nothing of walking out of theater in their scrubs, going to see a couple of patients in their rooms, then walking straight back into theater.

Ah well, there are definite advantages to living in a country that's about 20 years behind the rest of the world; by the time these sensors reach South Africa, I'll be long since retired

greenfiremajick · Feb 13, 2011

Ah well, there are definite advantages to living in a country that's about 20 years behind the rest of the world; by the time these sensors reach South Africa, I'll be long since retired

LOL :yeah:

greenfiremajick · Feb 13, 2011

Awww, motivating staff to wash their hands between patients is such a nice, productive way for infection control to earn their keep-now they want to take it away from them and give it to a computer....
I think most of the cross-infection that occurs in hospitals is caused by doctors, who are notoriously careless about infection control. As someone previously mentioned, hand wash sensors would be better applied to our dear MDs and surgeons, who think nothing of walking out of theater in their scrubs, going to see a couple of patients in their rooms, then walking straight back into theater.
Ah well, there are definite advantages to living in a country that's about 20 years behind the rest of the world; by the time these sensors reach South Africa, I'll be long since retired

Although I should say that the MD's have been shown in the reports/data to be the biggest perpetrators, after the nurses....But when I was thinking about it, I thought about the fact that this prob has to do with sheer numbers...I think nursing is the most reported because they are the largest group of personnel in a facility.........

TDCHIM · Feb 13, 2011

I'm guessing HIM people would probably play a role in this somehow, particularly with regard to implementing the system and/or monitoring/evaluating the data. This type of thing has come up several times in my classes.

OP, I thought you might like a link to a thread I started a while ago about a story involving state of the art computer software and devices that can track and evaluate everything from vital signs and hand-washing to emotional responses. The story itself (there's a link to it in my initial post on the thread) is quite interesting and specifically references software that actually breaks in and reminds you about hand-washing if it thinks you've overlooked it. I have some serious reservations about this sort of thing.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/technology-evaluates-peoples-523988.html

greenfiremajick · Feb 13, 2011

I'm guessing HIM people would probably play a role in this somehow, particularly with regard to implementing the system and/or monitoring/evaluating the data. This type of thing has come up several times in my classes.
OP, I thought you might like a link to a thread I started a while ago about a story involving state of the art computer software and devices that can track and evaluate everything from vital signs and hand-washing to emotional responses. The story itself (there's a link to it in my initial post on the thread) is quite interesting and specifically references software that actually breaks in and reminds you about hand-washing if it thinks you've overlooked it. I have some serious reservations about this sort of thing.
https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/technology-evaluates-peoples-523988.html

Thanks, TDCHIM-I appreciate it very much!

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Feb 13, 2011

How would they have any idea how long I was in a room? "Oh, we saw you didn't wash your hands for 45 minutes!" Uhm, yeah, I was in with my patient in flash pulm edema that long. Or "We saw you washed your hands every 15 minutes! Good job!" When really they were in 3 patients rooms for 5 minutes each. Do Purell dispensers count?

highlandlass1592, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2011

I'm reading the posts and not sure if your question was totally answered. As someone else stated, the software being utilized would already have been set up by the IT department. However, the collecting of data and inputting it into the database would be the responsibility of the infection control department. They would then tabulate the data to present to administration and any accreditating bodies that would come for a visit, ie JCAHO.

sunnycalifRN · Feb 13, 2011

Yes, I know IT is not a clinical department, but how would infection control keep their records, etc? How would infection control setup, maintain, and report a database system that shows all the uses, etc of the monitoring device?

The Infection Control dept where I work monitors handwashing but there is nothing computerized yet; instead, they employ "spies", folks not from infection control, but recruited by them, and they pretend to be working at a computer terminal but they're secretly watching a group of patient rooms.

greenfiremajick · Feb 14, 2011

I'm reading the posts and not sure if your question was totally answered. As someone else stated, the software being utilized would already have been set up by the IT department. However, the collecting of data and inputting it into the database would be the responsibility of the infection control department. They would then tabulate the data to present to administration and any accreditating bodies that would come for a visit, ie JCAHO.

TY, Highland! I was thinking along those lines........

BrookeeLou_RN · Feb 14, 2011

Infection control nurse exists in every facility.. now that person may have 15 other titles in smaller places!

The program would have been set up when purchased and I imagine that the Infection control nurse would receive print outs to analyze much like lab results for infections.

merlee · Feb 14, 2011

Handwashing is only one element in this spectrum - - how often are the staff cleaning their STETHOSCOPES????

When I had a cardiac cath done last year, people would take their scope from around their neck, listen to my groin site and then wrap that scope around their neck again.

YUCK. I made one doc take off his scope and clean it in front of me.

But what about everyone else? And everyone leans on or over the bedrails.

Hands are only one part of the equasion....