Washing Your Hands in the Workplace
Running Head: WASHING YOUR HANDS IN THE WORKPLACE 1
The Impact of Hand Hygiene in the Workplace and
Problems Hindering the Policy
WASHING YOUR HANDS IN THE WORKPLACE 2
The Impact of Hand Hygiene in the Workplace and
Problems Hindering the Policy “In the United States, hospital patients get nearly 2 million infections each year. That’s about 1 infection for every 20 patients. Hand hygiene is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of infections (Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings 2012)” and promote the safety of our patents. Locating the Hand Hygiene Policy was relatively easy. Neither I nor my regular nurse coworkers knew where to find the policy but most of them had recommended to go ask the manager. The manger told me that I simply had to search it up on the hospital website and as soon as I got home I looked it up and there it was, Hand Hygiene Requirements by the Department of Veterans Affairs. After looking over the policy I noticed that it is based upon the fact that the removal of microbiological contamination through hand washing has been proven to be a very effective infection control measure. Even with all the benefits that hand hygiene bring with it there are some downsides which sometimes cause disruptions in required hand washing routines. “Studies have shown that without encouragement, hospital workers wash their hands as little as 30 percent of the time that they interact with patients (Hartocollis 2013).” Nurses within my organization also avoid washing their hands at times giving reasons such as “complaints about dry skin, the pressures of an emergency environment, the tedium of hand washing and resistance to authority (Hartocollis 2013).” I would notice that few of the nurses would simply move from patient to patient without
WASHING YOUR HANDS IN THE WORKPLACE
The Impact of Hand Hygiene in the Workplace and
Problems Hindering the Policy
WASHING YOUR HANDS IN THE WORKPLACE 2
The Impact of Hand Hygiene in the Workplace and
Problems Hindering the Policy “In the United States, hospital patients get nearly 2 million infections each year. That’s about 1 infection for every 20 patients. Hand hygiene is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of infections (Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings 2012)” and promote the safety of our patents. Locating the Hand Hygiene Policy was relatively easy. Neither I nor my regular nurse coworkers knew where to find the policy but most of them had recommended to go ask the manager. The manger told me that I simply had to search it up on the hospital website and as soon as I got home I looked it up and there it was, Hand Hygiene Requirements by the Department of Veterans Affairs. After looking over the policy I noticed that it is based upon the fact that the removal of microbiological contamination through hand washing has been proven to be a very effective infection control measure. Even with all the benefits that hand hygiene bring with it there are some downsides which sometimes cause disruptions in required hand washing routines. “Studies have shown that without encouragement, hospital workers wash their hands as little as 30 percent of the time that they interact with patients (Hartocollis 2013).” Nurses within my organization also avoid washing their hands at times giving reasons such as “complaints about dry skin, the pressures of an emergency environment, the tedium of hand washing and resistance to authority (Hartocollis 2013).” I would notice that few of the nurses would simply move from patient to patient without
WASHING YOUR HANDS IN THE WORKPLACE
References: Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings. (2012, July 30). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/Basics.html Hartocollis, A. (2013, May 28). Hospitals Struggle to Get Workers to Wash Their Hands. The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/nyregion/hospitals-struggle-to-get-workers-to-wash-their-hands.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 McGuinness, M. (2013, May 29). Hospitals fight to get workers to wash their hands. MSN News. Retrieved July 13, 2013, from http://news.msn.com/us/hospitals-fight-to-get-workers-to-wash-their-hands