Hand Washing Essay

Poor hand hygiene - spread of germs from one patient to another or spread for hands to surfaces.

This experiment illustrates the importance of handwashing and proves that hand washing is worth it. Since our hands are constantly coming into contact with ourselves and others, touching surfaces, grabbing objects, being sneezed into, etc., keeping our hands clean is one of the most effective, yet simple way we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running warm water. “The human skin is a host to anywhere between 10,000-10,000,000 bacteria per square centimeter and since health care providers come into contact with pathogenic bacteria by being engaged in patient care, hand washing can reduce the risk of spreading diseases (page 3).” The objective of the experiment is to test the effectiveness of hand washing and demonstrate normal flora. This report presents the procedures and materials for the experiment, the experiment's results, and an analysis of those results.

1.1: Employees rights and responsibilities in the relation to the prevention and control of infection are to follow company’s policies and procedures, keep themselves safe and others, report any hazards which could lead to infection, attend relevant courses, use the PPE provided, keeping the work environment clean and tidy and to maintain good personal hygiene

Health Care providers must implement infection control at all times. This is essential in order to avoid any sources of contamination that would put patients at risk for infection as well as all hospital personnel. There are two important aseptic techniques: Medical Asepsis, and Surgical Asepsis. The first one includes hand hygiene, use of gloves, masks, gowns and routine

After the program, there is an increase in level of knowledge (79% to 91% to correctly identify hand washing guideline) about the hand washing issue and an increase in compliance rate (51% to 83%). The participants in the study have positive attitudes towards hand washing, before and after the program, suggesting that it is fine for a patient to remind his or her doctors to wash their hands. This study suggests an immediate rearrangement of the alcohol hand rub at each patient’s bedside, and a ongoing issue regarding caregivers’ skin irritation that has to be addressed quickly. Overall, the research shows that increasing hand washing compliance rate is a multifaceted problems that have to be addressed in multiple ways, from the position of the alcohol hand rub to the hand rub that do not irritate the healthcare workers’

Over the years one of the leading causes of hospital acquired infection has been attributed to the poor hand hygiene. Whether it is due to the fact that healthcare workers are not sanitizing their hands between patients that can lead to cross contamination between patients, between staff and patients, or even staff to staff. Since a majority of hospital associated infections such Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) as are transmitted via contact and can remain on surfaces for up to thirty of more days it is very easy to transmit between patients with ineffective hand hygiene. There should be accessibility to both hand sanitizers as well as handwashing areas which would make it easy for staff, patients, and visitors to follow hand washing protocols. Studies done over the past on health care workers in reference to proper hand hygiene has shown that there is still an at least a fifty percent times in which proper hand hygiene is not performed (Ara, et al., 2016). On a daily basis a health care worker comes into contact of different microbes which are easily transmitted and according to the CDC not following the proper hand hygiene along with adequate solvent is reportedly the number one factor that contributes to HAI’s (CDC, 2015). Healthcare facilities are currently making handwashing more accessible by providing alcohol based hand sanitizers outside of patient’s rooms which are more visible to visitors and staff. Studies have shown several factors that contribute to the lack of proper hand hygiene, knowledge of the spread of infection via contact with contaminated hands, the importance of having solvents such as hand sanitizers being accessible and antibacterial soap, the understanding of the proper method involved in hand washing, understaffing is also a

Hansen’s conclusion does have parts that I agree with but as humans there are still factors we can’t control. For example, By washing our hands more than usual there is a greater chance for us to not transmit germs to others and if others do transfer them to us we have the alternative to wash our hands ,but, is not impossible for germs to sneak up on us. In paragraph 11 it shows a result of how “80 percent of common illnesses develop as a result of face touching with germ-laden hands”. We do have discovered that there is ways germs can be carried on other than by direct contact. They can be in the air or in objects such as the remote control that its sitting on the couch. This brings me to question if washing our hands can save us from illnesses

Hand Sanitiser is a liquid substance that was invented to enable humans to wash their hands without the use of soap or water. Hand Sanitiser was invented by a student nurse, Lupe Hernandez, she thought the idea of alcohol and gel together could clean hands in a situation where there was no access to soap or water. This ‘idea’ was produced in Bakersfield, California 1966. It’s a faster technique to achieve clean hands in a short period of time. Hand Sanitiser kills a variety of pathogens that regular soap may leave behind.

Of all the parts on your body that people constantly see throughout the day your hands can show your age more than any other body part. When you are out in public using any facilities, at work using the restroom, or many other situations throughout the day you may be washing your hands constantly. Every time you wash you hands your stripping away the natural oils, leaving them dry and rough at most time witch can age your hands. The hardest par throughout the day is consistently protecting your hands all day. Another problem your hands face is loosing it's fat and volume as you age over the years, they will end up looking more bone style and your veins will be more apparent to the eyes. What you need to do is give your hands a weekly treatment to keep them hydrated, healthy, and give them a more younger looking complexion.

- Think about all of the things that you touched today — from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue, opened a door, typed on a public keyboard, or handled money.

The purpose of this research was to determine the percentage of healthcare workers' hands that was contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after routine care of a patient with Clostridium difficile and to identify the risk factors associated with the contamination. The study was conducted at a University hospital, in France, during the time frame of June 2007 through August 2007. The study reflected that the hand contamination was associated with exposure to fecal soiling and lack of glove use. The data showed that hand contamination was more common among nursing assistants than any other healthcare worker. This article abstract was straightforward and organized into the following headings: objective, design, setting,

Handwashing has been clearly proven to prevent different diseases and is one of the most beneficial ways to protect others including oneself from infections. As simple as hand washing with plain or antimicrobial soaps appears, it has been projected that it can cut down hospital acquired infections. Hand hygiene can decrease the risk of respiratory infections by 16% (CDC, 2016). The CDC published in 2016, significant reduction at the national level close to all infections included compared to baseline data (CDC, 2016). Moreover, reductions in hospital on-site MRSA 13%, bacteremia and a 8% with C. difficile infections based on 2014, HAI Data and Statics (CDC, 2016). Again, the compliance rates when it comes to hand hygiene hospitals the law mandates to report their findings. In 2011 the statics showed, one in twenty-five hospital patients have had an HAI, with 772,000 HAI in the major acute hospitals in the United States (CDC, 2016). Various parameters are said to have an effect on hand hygiene compliance. Furthermore, it is estimated 30,000 deaths each year from nosocomial infections (CDC, 2016). According to CDC, one of them is said to be the time required for procedure education. The hospital personnel has been recommended to re-educate, provided with hand hygiene products that are effective. These entail the alcohol-based hand rubs. Alcohol sanitizers are antiseptic products with some level of alcohol ranging between 60 to 85 percent. This is meant to avoid the spread of pathogens (WHO, 2016). A shift in hand hygiene agent had been said to be beneficial for the hospitals which have not only exhibited a high workload, but also a great demand of for hand hygiene which can cause laziness and rush to wash their

To fulfill this learning outcome, use the following as your guide an do the tasks above.

Handwashing Compare • Both contain graphics of people washing their hands. • Both contain people washing their hand in their bathrooms. • Both contain happy faces of people washing their hands. • Both talk about the benefits of washing hands; reduce diarrhea by 31% reduces illness by 58% reduces colds by 21% •

Great post, Maria. I agree with you that handwashing committees , patients with their families, co-workers spy on us. We, nurses, are busy, running on the floor from one patient to another one, passing medications, doing treatments, and etc. And sometimes we forget or we do not feel that video cameras are everywhere in the facility. In one of facilities I work the director of quality is assessing nurses” competency, and the first thing in the skill competency checklists is handwashing. Some nurses with 15-20 years experience make mistakes in the end of procedure, touching the faucet with fingers, re-contaminating themselves They have to start the handwashing procedure again, and turn off the running water with a paper towel. I like the process