Running head: EFFECTIVE HAND HYGIENE Effective Hand Hygiene and It’s Benefits Cristina Quiles Nyack College Introduction to Professional Nursing 10/9/16 EFFECTIVE HAND HYGIENE
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Abstract
In a healthcare facility, protecting both the client and the health care professional is the most important aspect to keep in consideration when caring. Hand washing was discovered to be the most successful way for protecting against the spread of disease. However, over time, hand washing and hand hygiene has evolved into hand sanitizing soaps and gels. However, hand washing is the most efficient way of killing bacteria. Learning the procedures to effective hand washing and the best times can help reduce the spreading and acquiring of infections. This …show more content…
He established that each medical care worker wash their hands in chlorinated lime solution before having contact with a different patient (World Health Organization). After implementing this, mortality rate dropped drastically and continued to stay low. Semmelweis was named the father of hand hygiene because of his intervention for poor infection prevention.
Having good hand hygiene can play a major part in reducing the spread of infections from direct person to person contact. Some of the best times to wash hands are when someone has been exposed to germs, an example being sneezing into one 's hand, when working in health care and when handling food. One of the most important times to wash hands is after using the restroom to limit fecal to person transmission. However, washing hands may not be efficient enough if not done in a proper way. Bacteria can be hidden under finger nails, bracelets, watches and rings. Bacteria can also stay alive on hands for up to three hours (International Journal of
Caring Sciences)! Proper Hand Washing
According to the WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care, a person must wet their hands with water, apply soap to cover their whole hand surface, rub their hands from …show more content…
Studies have shown that using hand sanitizer has performed either better or as well as washing hands with antimicrobial soap (Pickering, Boehm, Mwanjali, Davis).
In a study which compared hands with and without sanitation, both the levels of E. Coli and fecal streptococci were reduced immensely (Pickering, Boehm, Mwanjali, Davis). A downturn to using hand sanitizers where the observed hygiene behavior among adults. This included their hand washing habits which were reduced. This can be because using sanitizers are looked at as an alternative to hand washing when soap and clean water are not available. Using hand sanitizers are methods that can be used in less privileged countries. Although this method is not exactly hand washing, it is an excellent way to increase hygiene. Another downturn to using sanitizers is that although sanitizers can kill bacteria, some strains are becoming resistant to them, such as Clostridium difficile spores (Journal of Midwifery). Although hand sanitizers are a good way to help prevent germs, hand washing is still the best way to wash away bacteria. Conclusion
Hand hygiene continues to evolve still today from regular hand washing to
1
Abstract
In a healthcare facility, protecting both the client and the health care professional is the most important aspect to keep in consideration when caring. Hand washing was discovered to be the most successful way for protecting against the spread of disease. However, over time, hand washing and hand hygiene has evolved into hand sanitizing soaps and gels. However, hand washing is the most efficient way of killing bacteria. Learning the procedures to effective hand washing and the best times can help reduce the spreading and acquiring of infections. This …show more content…
He established that each medical care worker wash their hands in chlorinated lime solution before having contact with a different patient (World Health Organization). After implementing this, mortality rate dropped drastically and continued to stay low. Semmelweis was named the father of hand hygiene because of his intervention for poor infection prevention.
Having good hand hygiene can play a major part in reducing the spread of infections from direct person to person contact. Some of the best times to wash hands are when someone has been exposed to germs, an example being sneezing into one 's hand, when working in health care and when handling food. One of the most important times to wash hands is after using the restroom to limit fecal to person transmission. However, washing hands may not be efficient enough if not done in a proper way. Bacteria can be hidden under finger nails, bracelets, watches and rings. Bacteria can also stay alive on hands for up to three hours (International Journal of
Caring Sciences)! Proper Hand Washing
According to the WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care, a person must wet their hands with water, apply soap to cover their whole hand surface, rub their hands from …show more content…
Studies have shown that using hand sanitizer has performed either better or as well as washing hands with antimicrobial soap (Pickering, Boehm, Mwanjali, Davis).
In a study which compared hands with and without sanitation, both the levels of E. Coli and fecal streptococci were reduced immensely (Pickering, Boehm, Mwanjali, Davis). A downturn to using hand sanitizers where the observed hygiene behavior among adults. This included their hand washing habits which were reduced. This can be because using sanitizers are looked at as an alternative to hand washing when soap and clean water are not available. Using hand sanitizers are methods that can be used in less privileged countries. Although this method is not exactly hand washing, it is an excellent way to increase hygiene. Another downturn to using sanitizers is that although sanitizers can kill bacteria, some strains are becoming resistant to them, such as Clostridium difficile spores (Journal of Midwifery). Although hand sanitizers are a good way to help prevent germs, hand washing is still the best way to wash away bacteria. Conclusion
Hand hygiene continues to evolve still today from regular hand washing to