Healthcare workers are essential when it comes to the care and well-being of patients. If a patient is to get better under their care, they have to maintain a high standard of cleanliness when in and out of the healthcare setting. Proper hand washing techniques and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been shown to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections through the use of various research studies. With this right amount of hygiene in order to avoid cross contamination, patients are able to progress at a faster rate and healthcare professionals are able to inhibit new infections from forming. Hand washing is the most basic of all activities that a healthcare professional learns when they initially enter the field. This is commonplace
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One study was used with two different hand washing systems containing two different hand-rinsing agents with hand washing occurring more frequently in various areas throughout the hospital than others (Doebbeling et al., 1992). Nosocomial infections occurred in both areas that used two different rinses regardless of the soap that was used. This goes on to say that the persistence of the healthcare workers and their hygiene poses a risk to overall patient health and safety. Improvements in the decrease of nosocomial infections have been shown with the regularity of hand washing and the use of PPE in a study performed in the intensive care units of specific hospitals which further prove that there is a correlation between the infection and the transference between hands (Doebbeling et al., …show more content…
There has been the discussion related to the fact that bacteria and germs can live on PPE and therefore contribute to the direct infection as well, but enough research has not been performed in order to fully evaluate this assumption (Pittet et al., 2000). In the studies that have been presented when it comes to this aspect, compliance improved for a period of time when it had been established that the workers were being monitored towards the end of the studies. However, various excuses are given as to why they will not or cannot comply at the given time and include skin irritation by the soap that is offered, being “too busy”, isolated supplies and others that can be deemed as being indefensible when it comes to healthcare standards (Pittet et al., 2000). When confronted with the statistics of the nonexistent hand washing sessions, healthcare professionals either acknowledged that they did wash their hands or for those that did not were almost certain that they did. This is a cycle that must be broken. It should be an automatic response to wash hands or wear clean PPE when handling patients regardless of their status. It is for the safety of all that are in the hospital whether they are a patient or a worker. It is something that is simple, yet many make it more than what it needs to be. Hand washing and PPE reduce
One study was used with two different hand washing systems containing two different hand-rinsing agents with hand washing occurring more frequently in various areas throughout the hospital than others (Doebbeling et al., 1992). Nosocomial infections occurred in both areas that used two different rinses regardless of the soap that was used. This goes on to say that the persistence of the healthcare workers and their hygiene poses a risk to overall patient health and safety. Improvements in the decrease of nosocomial infections have been shown with the regularity of hand washing and the use of PPE in a study performed in the intensive care units of specific hospitals which further prove that there is a correlation between the infection and the transference between hands (Doebbeling et al., …show more content…
There has been the discussion related to the fact that bacteria and germs can live on PPE and therefore contribute to the direct infection as well, but enough research has not been performed in order to fully evaluate this assumption (Pittet et al., 2000). In the studies that have been presented when it comes to this aspect, compliance improved for a period of time when it had been established that the workers were being monitored towards the end of the studies. However, various excuses are given as to why they will not or cannot comply at the given time and include skin irritation by the soap that is offered, being “too busy”, isolated supplies and others that can be deemed as being indefensible when it comes to healthcare standards (Pittet et al., 2000). When confronted with the statistics of the nonexistent hand washing sessions, healthcare professionals either acknowledged that they did wash their hands or for those that did not were almost certain that they did. This is a cycle that must be broken. It should be an automatic response to wash hands or wear clean PPE when handling patients regardless of their status. It is for the safety of all that are in the hospital whether they are a patient or a worker. It is something that is simple, yet many make it more than what it needs to be. Hand washing and PPE reduce