Handwashing

Your patient care practices send a powerful message and show your patients and co-workers that you are serious about their health

When should you practice hand hygiene in the healthcare settings?

Many infections are transmitted on the hands of healthcare personnel and could be prevented by performing hand hygiene.

Known as the father of hand hygiene

washing hands with plain soap and water. It remains a sensible strategy for hand hygiene in non- healthcare settings

If you touch a surface area in the exam room and do not touch the patient you do not have to practice hand hygiene.

Hand hygiene before and after patient contact and after contact with the immediate patient care environment should be performed, even if gloves are worn.

are persistently present as part of the individuals own flora, normal flora. They cannot be permanently removed.

Hand hygiene must be performed before placing gloves on and after glove removal.

s an alcohol-containing preparation applied to the hands