Reflective Account of ....

Dirty hands is the common source of spreading infection. It is very important to keep hands clean to avoid getting infected and spreading infection in the community. It is important to wash hands to keep hands clean. There are two ways to keep hand clean, one way is wash hands with soap and warm water while rubbing hands together for minimum 15 to 30 seconds. Indication of washing hands with soap and water is when hands are visibly dirty, before and after eating, feeding, using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing, after using gloves, taking care of patients. There is also second way to clean hands, but it is advisable to wash hands with soap and water all the time, but it can ignore when soap and water is not available so it is okay to use hand gel or foam in the form of sanitizer. This helps to clean hands or kill germs when hands are not visibly dirty.

Keeping our hands clean is one of the most effcient and important steps we can do as humans to avoid getting sick or spreading germs to other people. Unwashed hands spread many diseases such as the flue, E. coli, and salmonella. Unfortunately, hand hygiene is still one of today’s most leading causes of infection in health care facilities. The risk of clinicians, patients, and visitors not complying with hand hygiene protocols creates a practice problem for nurses and their patient care. The cause of health care infections, also known as, health care-associated infections (HAIs) are increasing along with the rise of the inability to control or treat infections that are multi-drug resistant. Lack of proper hand hygiene is a major problem in clinical settings sourcing from critical care divisions where the most contaminations are prevalent. This paper will discuss how hand hygiene affects the nursing process and solutions of how to better prevent HAIs within the nursing scope of practice.

One of the main problems is hand hygiene and evidence suggests that healthcare staff including nurses do not perform this task as often as they should nor do they use the proper procedure. Even though it is

To help the prevention of infection spreading is by knowing the method of washing your hand because we carry most bacteria sue to the open air that we come in contact with. For example we use are hands to shake hands with someone holding or touching objects. When you are performing any form of hand hygiene you will need to make sure that you have washed your hand with anti-bacterial liquid soap; this is to help prevent any bacteria which we already have on our hands. In all health and social care settings an automatic liquid dispenser should be placed so that when washing hands any individual doesn’t touch or need to even sneeze any part of the liquid

This assignment shall be identifying the evidence underpinning the skills and professional approach required in patient care. Hand hygiene is seen as a form of action that is done by using your hands to prevent the spread of harmful germs and infections, this action is performed by both healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients before assisting with personal care involving touching. There are many different types of hand hygiene actions taken in the UK, these include Surgical Antisepsis, wearing gloves, washing your hands with a soap or alcohol-based formulation hand wash. It is important to always remain protected when touching a patient, their surroundings or body fluid.

Healthcare associated infections have an impact on patients - how? Can be prevented greatly with compliance to hand hygiene protocols (REF).

To effectively clean hands, water alone is not enough. The use of soap and detergents help in the solubility of the contaminants for easy removal. Antibacterial soaps and hand antiseptics can also be used for cleaning hands. There are critical times when washing hands are necessary; after visiting toilets, after changing diapers, before eating, before and after preparing foods like fish, poultry, and meat. This practice also helps in preventing diarrhoea, influenza, and child death. Embracing this will ensure that nurses achieve their goals of saving lives (Goldmann, 2006).

What is the Impact of Hand Hygiene Compliance on Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) in Hospitals?

Healthcare-associated infections affect hundreds of millions of individuals around the world. Hygienic hand washing has a significant impact on the transmission of Hospital Acquired Infections. There are a number of studies that assessed the effectiveness of hand hygiene with respect to reducing or preventing

* Hand washing is the most important method of preventing the spread of infection by contact (Ayliffe et al 1999). The Nottingham University Trust Policy on Hand Hygiene (2009) states that there are three types of hand hygiene, the first is ‘routine hand hygiene’ which involves the use of soap and water for 15 – 20 seconds or the application of alcohol hand rub until the hand are dry. The second is ‘hand disinfection’ which should be used prior to an aseptic procedure by washing with soap and water and applying alcohol hand rub afterwards. The third is ‘surgical hand washing’ which is the application of a microbial agent to the hands and wrists for two minutes. In addition to which a sterile, disposable brush may be used for the first surgical hand wash of the day although continued use will encourage colonisation of microbes. The third example is the most appropriate to any O.D.P undertaking the surgical role as it is the best way for the surgical team to eliminate transient flora and reduce resident skin flora (World Health Organization 2010). The first and second are important to any O.D.P undertaking any other role within the Operating Department as this is the best way to reduce the transient microbial flora without necessarily affecting the resident skin flora

Major problem in increasing rate of infection in Intensive Care Unit stated low compliance (Garchell, Labrador, Perez, & Septiem, 2008).Nurses was reported less compliance on hand hygiene because lack awareness, routine work , negligence, lack drying and washing equipment, faulty management system, crowded ward and bad detergent (Bilski & Kosinski, 2007). Studies constantly have proven healthcare nurses not well aware on hand hygiene. Noncompliance was higher seen in intensive care unit compare to internal unit during procedure with high risk for transmission and intensity patient acre was higher opportunity (Pittet, 2001). Some result from studies show that main cause of infant mortality in developing country is health associated infection (Huis, et al., 2013). Despite this, according study Suchitra and Lakshmidevi (2007) believe health care fail to practice proper hand

Among all nursing students and the majority of healthcare professionals, hand hygiene is understood to be a simple and important method of reducing nosocomial infections among patients. The guidelines stated by the CDC delineate specific, step-by-step recommendations in order to perform adequate handwashing. Though it may be proven and well understood, the actual compliance demonstrated by healthcare workers is severely lacking. The purpose of this literature review is to identify methods that help ensure continued compliance in reducing the transmission of communicable diseases via adequate handwashing. Approximately four research articles were selected to provide an overview of various methods used to promoting handwashing compliance. The methods used in selecting these articles were as follows: hand hygiene, improve compliance, and nursing. Articles older than seven years were excluded. An exception was made for an electronic publication detailing the history of infection control and asepsis; this was strictly chosen for its content despite being published in 2005. The following outcomes which may yield positive results were identified: increased education, implementing friendly reminders throughout the facility, installing additional handwashing stations or appropriate substitutes such as alcohol-based cleansers, and using student nurses as handwashing ambassadors. Due to the lack

As a future medical practitioner, it is of paramount importance that I lead by example, work to influence and encourage fellow health professionals to practice good hand hygiene. The increase in nosocomial infections reflects poorly on the health care system, not only it is costly, strenuous on patients and unethical, but essentially, it reflects poorly on us as doctors, our morals and our practice. It is up to us, the future doctors, to change this to see a transformation in our attitudes and actions towards hand washing.

Hand washing is the most important method of avoiding sickness and germs spreading. According to WHO, it is always important to wash hands to not only remove visible dirty but also to kill disease causing pathogens. We should wash our hands when:

Hygiene has long served as a daily practice used to prevent infectious disease and maintain one’s health. Although a constant reminder, cleanliness may easily be defined as hand washing. A beginner’s step, hand washing is often skipped and deemed unnecessary. Unfortunately, many are unaware of the consequences that follow improper hygiene or lack of it. As explored by Miryam Z. Wahrman in her book “The Hand Book: Surviving in a Germ-Filled World”, numerous microbes dwell on our body, spreading from one part of the world to the other in a matter of a day, leaving millions at risk. From the metal handle in the subway to the kitchen counter of a family home, bacteria circulate and grow in every inch of living space. This basic fundamental of healthy state of living must be enforced amongst those of all ages and career fields: children, adults, employees, healthcare practitioners etc.