Would you be insulted if.....

[MomRN0913]

A patient or a family member asked you if you washed your hands?

I was reading Redbook magazine and there was this little section saying how you can prevent medical errors and infections (this is from a patients point of view) by asking your nurse or doctor if they washed their hands and by questioning the meds and treatments in case they were unecessary.

While I do believe in asking about the meds you are recieving and the treatments ( I believe in being an advocate for yourself, but not playing doctor to yourself), the first thing I learned in Nursing school was handwashing. I don't touch a patient without washing my hands if I have been with another patient or touching handling something like blood or even medications. It's like asking me if I was doing something very basic in my job that is a given. But I can understand where the patient is coming from I guess.

Would you be insulted?

[wooh, BSN, RN]

^^ That. I get a handful of foam, open the door, rub the foam in as I walk in the room.

Of course, then Press Gainey complaints end up being, "They always used the foam and never washed their hands.":uhoh3:

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Nope, I have been around too many years and have seen MD's remove dressings with no gloves and never even wash their hands!

I'm one of those handwashing police and believe me, the people that I spot not washing is high!

A pt can ask all they want. I usually make a showing in front of them by washing my hands and foaming in front of them.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

No I wouldn't be insulted and I wash my hands when I enter the room so they are visibly seeing me wash my hands.

[Poi Dog]

I would be absolutely, positively insulted...

Just kidding

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

^^ That. I get a handful of foam, open the door, rub the foam in as I walk in the room.

That's what I do

Then they'll see me cleaning them, or else think I'm really a nervous guy wringing my hands like that

[Isabelle49]

I wouldn't be upset at all. I would prefer to wash in front of them. If I have to open the door to their room to enter, then hands need to be washed in the room and I have always done this.

[SeeTheMoon]

Yep. I would then proceed to beat the pt profusely with a wet noodle.

Nah. People need to be their own advocate. Some people just don't wash their hands. Ever. It's kinda scary...

[rn/writer, RN]

What I do find offensive is the buttons that I have heard some hospitals require nurses to wear that state "Ask me if I've washed my hands"

We have signs where I work that say, "It's okay to ask me if I've washed my hands." A little softer wording than the one above, which sounds almost confrontational. "Ask me. Go ahead. Ask me. I dare ya!"

I have explained to patients that the foam is more effective at killing germs than soap and water in many instances. Some seemed surprised, but they all appeared to accept the information.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

Not at all, I would wash my hands for the 5th time in a row just so my patient can see me washing my hands. I would rather wash my hands in the patient's room, that way they won't ask me if I washed my hands or not.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I don't like the foam. It makes my hands feel gross so I just wash in the patients rooms. They all have sinks right inside the room.

[Merlyn]

No not at all.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Nope....ask on! I will try to wash them in front of them and then again as I leave to kind of end the time spent in the room....and let them know i did thagt before I walked into their room.