Hand Hygiene
Name one moment for hand hygiene?
Before Resident/Resident Environment Contact
Before Clean/Aseptic Procedure
After Body Fluid Exposure
After Resident/Resident Environment Contact
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
To control outbreaks we assess residents daily for....
Assess: We help control outbreaks by watching for residents with new signs and symptoms of infection.
Contain: We contain by placing them on additional precautions.
We communicate this to the nurse in charge. Line list
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
True or False
In a 2 bed isolation room, it’s okay to wear the same gloves for both residents since they are cohorted together.
FALSE! We must not wear the same gloves in between residents. Each time we complete a task we must doff the gloves, perform hand hygiene and don new gloves prior to seeing the next patient or doing another task.
How often are you expected to have hand hygiene training?
Learning Hub
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 same germs.
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?
How is hand hygiene compliance measured in your unit?
Where are the results posted?
IPAC audit
Site self-audit
Impromptu glow germ
Peer Audit
***Results should be posted at entry and on units***
What is an antibiotic resistant organism?
Can you name one?
VRE, MRSA, CPO
What causes an antibiotic organism?
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.
Where can you get more information regarding infection control policies, training, products, questions, etc.?
VCH IPAC website
VCH SHOP
Your ICP and CNE
What are two methods of hand hygiene?
Soap and Water
ABHR
For the area you work in, what changes are going to be made, to improve hand hygiene compliance?
Share your story! What changes would you like to see to increase compliance with Hand Hygiene?
How are antibiotic resistant organisms spread in the clinical environment?
What actions can you take to prevent their spread?
Colonization vs infection.
What actions are different?
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 hangs
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
What is your best defense against an organism that is spread by contact?
Hand hygiene
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 does mean an infection!)