Hand Hygiene
What are two methods of hand hygiene?
How often are you expected to have VCH Mandatory hand hygiene training (Learning Hub)?
Answer: VCH Hand Hygiene e-learning module must be completed every 2 years
Tell me what type of infectious diseases are monitored in your facility?
Surveillance systems in place to track: COVID-19, influenza, Norovirus, CDIFF
IPAC is alerted by staff filling out Line lists and monitoring resident symptoms
How often do you get fit tested for N95?
Aside from hand hygiene, what are two other practices included in Routine Practices?
Point of Care Risk Assessment
Appropriate use of PPE
Proper Disposal of Sharps
Cleaning and Disinfection of Shared Equipment and Environment
What are the four moments of hand hygiene?
Before Resident/Resident Environment Contact
Before Clean/Aseptic Procedure
After Body Fluid Exposure
After Resident/Resident Environment Contact
How do you receive your education and training on hand hygiene?
How does your home communicate new cases with infection control and public health?
Line list!
Who goes on the list? Symptomatic? Confirmed positive? Both?
Now!
Early containment of symptomatic residents prevents transmission. Residents should be placed on additional precautions while results are pending to prevent exposing others.
True or False:
I’ve sanitized and donned new gloves, but haven’t touched the resident or resident environment yet. It’s ok to type on the computer key board with the clean gloves and then touch the resident.
Answer: FALSE! You should don gloves immediately before touching a resident. Using a keyboard is interacting in the environment outside of the resident’s space and would contaminate the gloves. WOWs should only be touched with clean hands after we perform hand hygiene.
True or False:
After assisting a resident in the bathroom, it is okay to assist them with their meal tray without cleaning your hands because it is the same resident.
Answer: FALSE! The four moments of hand hygiene require healthcare workers to clean their hands when moving from dirty to clean tasks- even if it is with the same resident in the same room! When moving between dirty/clean tasks in resident’s spaces how do you clean your hands? Do you have access to ABHR at the point of care?
Where can you get more information regarding infection control policies, training, products, etc.?
What is one way to reduce urinary tract infections in long term care residents?
Appropriate catheter use, hand hygiene, aseptic technique, regular toileting, proper assessment (stinky urine? change in behavior?)
True or False: Flu shots are recommended for all staff in VCH policy.
True.
Without a "Flu-shot" you are more likely to get the flue when caring for those who are sick with flu.
During flu season family, friends, and staff who have flu can easily spread it to the residents in your care.
With a flu shot you are less likely to get influenza.
What is "Point of Care Risk Assessment (PCRA)" and when should you perform your PCRA?
PCRA is a part of routine practice which should be done before any resident interaction.
It is used to help you decide what PPE or other equipment you need to gather to protect yourself.
Which of the following infections should you use handwashing with soap and water?
a. Covid
b. Flu
c. C-diff
d. UTI
C-diff! Some GI virus have spores around them that cannot killed by alcohol
How is hand hygiene compliance measured in your unit?
Where are your teams hand hygiene results posted?
What is your role in preventing the spread of infections in your program?
Symptoms such as vomiting and/or diarrhea are consistent with which seasonal illness?
GI
Noro
What should you assess prior to investigating diarrhea as infectious? Laxative use.
Daily DOUBLE: What additional precautions will you place this resident on?
True or False: Upon existing an isolation room, the correct steps for doffing are:
1. Untie and remove gown
2. Remove gloves
3. Sanitize hands
Answer: FALSE! The correct steps are:
When and why are gloves indicated when providing care?
Reduce soiling/contamination of healthcare workers hands with blood, body fluids.
Reduce the risk of spreading germs to residents, the environment, or healthcare workers.
Exposure to chemicals: cleaning and disinfecting wipes or harmful medications.
What has been done to improve hand hygiene in your area?
Education is offered regularly by in the moment teaching, glow germ demonstrations, signage/posters to encourage hand hygiene and support families when they visit with when to clean their hands, LMP installed wall-mounted ABHR and glove box brackets
To control outbreaks, we assess residents daily for...
Then... what are the next steps?
If my resident is on Contact Plus Precautions, what does that mean, and what is the most important thing I should do after doffing my PPE?
Confirmed or suspected GI infection (such as norovirus or C-diff)
I should wash my hand with soap and water for 20–30 seconds after doffing my PPE
To be effective, cleaning and disinfection must be a ________-step process.
What's the proper way to clean and disinfect?
Cleaning and disinfection is always a TWO-step process.