Hand Hygiene In Patient Care

Hand hygiene is a general term applying to the utilization of soap, water and the utilization of hand rub to the surface of the hands (Public Health Ontario, 2008, p., 2).Effective hand hygiene is the absolute most essential system in counteracting healthcare associated infections. Germs spread mostly through our hands and in various ways, in order to reduce the spread of infection it is important that healthcare professionals take hand hygiene seriously (Aziz, 2013, p.458). In the health care settings it is imperative that staff wash their hands when they get in contact with patients who are sick in order to prevent the spread of infection form patient to patient and to themselves. People die every day in the world from infections acquired …show more content…
However hand hygiene practice in the health sector has remained low despite its importance, in regards to infection control. The increase of hospital acquired infections is due to the lack of compliance on hand hygiene amongst the healthcare workers. Hand washing is an important technique in removing or reducing the number of micro-organisms from hands. Prevention of infection through hand hygiene is important for patients to receive safe and effective care, and healthcare workers must follow the practice of hand hygiene on a daily basis as they provide care (Department of Health, 2015). This essay will discuss the prevention of infection control through hand hygiene in patient care and how important it is that it should be maintained at all times. The essay will outline the discussions of the Department of Health’s (DoH) 6C’s as outlined in the DoH compassion in practice, the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) Code of conduct (NMC, 2015), the NHS Constitution (2013) as they are relevant to hand hygiene …show more content…
Practising hand hygiene reduces time and costs for the NHS, if only people that includes patients and staff are to always wash their hands whenever they are required to do so, that will reduce the possibility of them getting infections. (Hart, 2013). Timely effective hand cleanliness is a personal responsibility, as student nurse l must comply with all aspects of the hand hygiene policy. Department of Health (2010) noted that communication is one of the most important basic goals for human interaction, healthcare works must ensure that patients and clients and those who care for them experience effective communication. Communication plays a vital row in regards to hand hygiene, as a student nurse l can make an influence to patients lives thereby contributes in making their health improve. Promoting care that puts people at the centre, involve patients, service users, their families and their carers is the responsibility of nurses and nursing staff (Royal College of Nursing