Handwashing

Handwashing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of disease.  This video demonstrates proper handwashing. 

When to use Hand Hygiene:
Always perform hand hygiene in the following situations:
•Before touching a patient, even if gloves will be worn
•Before exiting the patient’s care area after touching the patient or the patient’s immediate environment
•After contact with blood, body fluids or excretions, or wound dressings
•Prior to performing an aseptic task (e.g., accessing a port, preparing an injection)
•If hands will be moving from a contaminated-body site to a clean-body site during patient care
•After glove removal

Handwashing with Soap and Water:
•Wet hands first with water (avoid using hot water)
•Apply soap to hands
•Rub hands vigorously for at least 15-20 seconds, covering all surfaces of hands and fingers
•Rinse hands with water and dry thoroughly with paper towel
•Use paper towel to turn off water faucet


Hand Hygiene
Using Alcohol-based Hand Rub (follow manufacturer’s directions):
•Dispense the recommended volume of product
•Apply product to the palm of one hand
•Rub hands together, covering all surfaces of hands and fingers until they are dry (no rinsing is required)

*Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective in killing C. Diff and VRE.

Gloves

Do's and Don'ts of wearing gloves:
Do:
•Wear gloves that fit appropriately (select gloves according to hand size)
•Perform hand hygiene before and immediately after removing gloves

Don’t:
•Do not wear the same pair of gloves for the care of more than one patient
•Do not wash gloves for the purpose of reuse

When to wear gloves:
Wear gloves when there is potential contact with blood (e.g., during phlebotomy), body fluids, mucous
membranes, non-intact skin or contaminated equipment.

Removal of gloves:
• Grasp outside of glove with opposite gloved hand; peel off
.•Hold removed glove in glove hand
•Slide ungloved fingers under the remaining glove at the wrist; peel off and discard

Source: CDC.gov

Sterile Gloves

When to use sterile gloves: 

• When a procedure calls for a sterile feild. 

• To be able to touch sterile objects without contaminating them. 

• To prevent transmission of potentially infective organisms from the nurse to clients that are at a high risk for infection. 



Source: Kozier & Erb, Fundamentals of  nursing. 8th ed. (2008).

Sterile Glove Use:
How to put on sterile gloves:

•Using your nondominant hand, pick up the opposite glove by grasping the exposed inside ofthe cuff.

•Slip the gloved fingers of your dominant hand under the glove of the loose glove to pick it up.

•Pull the glove onto your dominant hand. Be sure to keep your thumb folded inward to avoid touching the sterile part of the glove. Allow the glove to come uncuffed as you finish inserting  your hand, but don't touch the outside of the glove.

•Slide your nondominant hand into the glove, holding your dominant thumb as far away as possible to avoid brushing against your arm. Allow the glove to come uncuffed as you finish  putting it on, but don't touch the skin side of the cuff with your other gloved hand.