For the next three weeks, Platte Valley will be focusing on hand hygiene awareness. Practicing great hand hygiene is not only the best way to protect our patients, it’s also expected as a part of our behavior standards. And, who knows, you may get caught hand washing and be rewarded with a $1 off coupon for the Bistro!
Stay tuned to the ICE for the next 3 weeks for more information on great hand hygiene.
When and How to Wear Gloves
- Wearing gloves is not a substitute for hand hygiene. Dirty gloves can soil hands.
- Always clean your hands after removing gloves.
- Steps for Glove Use:
- Choose the right size and type of gloves for the task
- Put on gloves before touching a patient’s non-intact skin, open wounds or mucous membranes, such as the mouth, nose, and eyes
- Change gloves during patient care if the hands will move from a contaminated body-site (e.g., perineal area) to a clean body-site (e.g., face)
- Remove gloves after contact with a patient and/or the surrounding environment (including medical equipment) using proper technique to prevent hand contamination
- Failure to remove gloves after caring for a patient may lead to the spread of potentially deadly germs from one patient to another
- Do not wear the same pair of gloves for the care of more than one patient
- Germs can live under artificial fingernails both before and after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and handwashing
- It is recommended that healthcare providers do not wear artificial fingernails or extensions when having direct contact with patients at high risk (e.g., those in intensive-care units or operating rooms)
- Keep natural nail tips less than ¼ inch long
- Some studies have shown that skin underneath rings contains more germs than comparable areas of skin on fingers without rings
- Further studies are needed to determine if wearing rings results in an increased spread of potentially deadly germs