Healthy Handwashing: Tips from a Nurse
As a nurse, handwashing is a very important part of my job. It is so essential to preventing the spread of infection that it is one of the first skills taught and tested in nursing school. Nurses are required to cleanse their hands upon entering and exiting every patient’s room, after using the restroom, before eating, and before and after performing any procedure. All of these handwashing instances add up quickly and, according to the CDC, can result in up to 100 hand-washes during a 12-hour shift.
If your child is hospitalized, then you are a vital member of their healthcare team. One important role you can play is keeping the germs at bay through frequent and proper handwashing. You can also be a handwashing ambassador by sharing these best practices with your child, loved ones, and anyone who comes to visit during a hospital stay.
Handwashing Technique
Follow these five steps each and every time you wash your hands. Do not be tempted to skip a step or shorten your scrub time. You may notice that your hands can become dry or irritated from frequent washing, so be sure to use a good moisturizer a few times a day.
Turn on the water and wet your hands.
Apply soap and rub it into a lather, paying attention to all surfaces including the palms, back of hands, between the fingers, and even the wrists to ensure that your hands are thoroughly scrubbed.
Count to 20 while you are scrubbing, or sing a little song in your head to make sure that you scrub for twenty full seconds. If you don’t rush then the ABCs will take 20 seconds, and since Happy Birthday clocks in at 10 seconds you can sing it twice to meet your scrubbing goal. You can also learn a new favorite song to sing like this tune from Sesame Street!
Rinse your hands in the running water, and keep it running. Your child’s safety from infection is the priority in a healthcare setting, so don’t worry about conserving water. Be sure not to touch the sides of the sink or the faucet handles with your clean hands.
Dry your hands thoroughly with a paper towel. Use the towel to turn off the water, and then throw it away.
Can I use Sanitizer or gloves instead?
Thoroughly washing your hands using the procedure listed above is always the best choice. Especially when:
hands are visibly dirty
there has been an exposure to body fluids
you have just used the restroom
touching the patient’s food
before eating
in contact with isolation or immunocompromised patients
While washing with soap and water is the preferred method to clean hands, hand sanitizer made with at least 60% alcohol is an acceptable replacement when hands are only lightly soiled or washing is unavailable. This resource shows when and how to use hand sanitizer within a community setting.
Finally, never use gloves as a substitute for cleaning hands. Hands must be washed or sanitized before gloves are worn to provide patient care.
Become a Handwashing Ambassador
Make proper handwashing a part of your every day life, and teach others to do the same. It prevents the spread of disease and can help keep your family healthy and safe both in and outside of the hospital. Try these resources to help share the importance of handwashing.
This fun activity from the Indianapolis Children’s Museum uses glitter to represent germs, and helps children to understand how proper handwashing can stop germs from spreading.
The CDC has printable posters (available in multiple languages) that you can print out and hang up by the sink to remind any visitors or your children how to perform proper handwashing.
Check out this printable booklet by the CDC on when to wash or sanitize your hands. Share this with any new visitors. to your child’s room.
Contributed by: Kathryn Dean, RN. Kathryn has worked as a registered nurse in Ohio for over a decade and now shares her expertise through writing.