Practical Guide for Nursing : Hand Washing

HAND WASHING

Purpose

            To ensure adequate removal of pathogens.

            To prevent cross- infection of different diseases.

Guidelines

1.     Clean technique is synonym for medical asepsis and is required to be maintained to break the infection chain incase of infections that are readily transmissible between the individuals.

2.     group the patients with different diseases according to their mode of transmission in order to use proper protective measures and facilitate the plan of nursing care.

3.     Observe the following when washing hands.

a.     Remove all jewellery and wrist watch.

b.     Trim your nails.

c.      Use warm water.

d.     Rinse the soap well before returning it to the soap dish.

4.     Clean or sterilize (as necessary) the supplies used for one patient before using the same for the next patient.

5.     Never shake linen but dust using a damp duster to remove the dust effectively.

6.     Carry soiled materials, e.g. linen away from your uniform so that it may not become a source of transmission of pathogens.

7.     Never throw soiled linen on the floor to prevent addition of more pathogens to it but dispose of immediately in a covered receptacle.

8.     Discard or return for recleaning any article dropped on the floor.

9.     Provide adequate tissue/gauze supplies and container for disposal to the patients. Ask the patient to cover nose and mouth when coughing, sneezing or laughing to prevent spread of pathogens by air borne droplets.

10.                        Be aware of clean (clean utility room counter) and dirty (dirty utility room counter to be recleaned) areas in a unit and never interchange these areas.

11.                        Keep supplies as minimum as possible in the patient' s room.

12.                        Minimize the number of visitors and do not allow the children under 12 years in the hospital wards.

13.                        Teach the patients and relatives about the spread and prevention of infection

14.                        Keep yourself healthy by

a.     Observing good health habits.

b.     Maintaining clean/medical aseptic practices eg hand washing and never touching your face, eyes or hair.

c.      Keeping the supplies away from you when brushing , dusting or scrubbing them.

Equipment

1. Soap and brush

2. Water

3. Towel

Nursing Activity

a.     Remove wrist watch and jewellery.

b.     Stand near the sink in a comfortable position and be careful about the uniform.

c.      Open the tap, check the temperature of water, it should be warm.

d.     Wet hands and forearms, holding hands below the elbow level and fingers pointing downward.

e.      Apply soap (or any detergent) . Rinse soap and return its place.

f.       Rub palms for 10 seconds, backs of hands for 10 seconds and fingers 10 seconds using circular motions and friction ( total 30 seconds of half minute). Interlace the

g.     fingers and thumbs to clean the fingers quickly and efficiently. Use brush to dislodge the dirt from under the nail beds.

2.     Rinse the hands well, holding hands as above.

3.     Apply soap one forearm working from above the hand, towards elbow and rub for 15 seconds using circular motions and friction. Repeat the procedure on the other forearm (total 30 seconds or half minute), Rinse forearms and hands well from below the elbows toward the finger tips.

4.     Repeat the procedure to ensure through cleanliness( total 60 seconds or one minute)

5.     Dry the arms and hands well from elbows to hands and discard the towel.

6.     Turn off the tap using your elbow of a paper towel and discard it.

If hands touch the sink or other object accidently, repeat the whole procedure.