Just Clean Your Hands

A key element of our education mandate and principles is alignment with our clinical and organizational priorities. Sunnybrook education is pleased to support the hand hygiene campaign and goal of 100% compliance. Hand Hygiene is the single most important way to prevent healthcare acquired infections and the spread of microorganisms. Mom was right when she always told you to just “Clean Your Hands!”

In January, we discussed the 1^st of the 4 moments of hand hygiene. In this post, we continue the discussion on the moments with a review of the 2nd moment.

Moment 2 is to make sure your hands are clean before you perform a clean or aseptic procedure. You cleaned your hands on entering the patient’s bedspace (moment 1) to prevent carrying microorganisms from the hospital environment into the patient’s bedspace and to prevent transmitting your own microorganisms to the patient. However, if you have touched the patient or items in the patient’s environment your hands are now contaminated with the patient’s microorganisms.

Figure 1: Moment 2

Just clean your Hands

Myth

The use of gloves is a substitute for hand hygiene. [Not True!!]

Fact

Unclean hands contaminate clean or sterile gloves easily during the

process of putting them on. Hand hygiene should be conducted

immediately before putting on gloves to minimize the chance of

spreading microorganisms.

Things to remember immediately before a clean or aseptic procedure:

Have you touched anything (including the chart, monitors, door knob, pen, your own clothing, face or stethoscope) after entering the room or bedspace?
Have you touched anything prior to entering the patient environment? (curtain, door, door knob, chair)
Did you or anyone entering the environment touch something before the clean or aspetic procedure and not clean your/their hands?

If you answered “Yes” to these questions the patient is at risk of exposure to infection. Speak up for patient safety. Patient safety starts with good communication.

Remember: Just Clean Your Hands.

Just Clean Your Hands

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Education Team

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Education Team

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