Standard precautions are essential for all aspects of patient care to reduce the spread of unknown illnesses. Many people are colonized with MRSA, yeast species, E. coli and other pathogenic strains of bacteria. People who are colonized with these organisms may not always know they have pathogenic strains of bacteria on their skin. Healthcare worker’s hands have been identified as the source of pathogenic organisms spreading during patient care. Practicing hand hygiene is frequently cited as the most effective tool at reducing the spread of infections within healthcare facilities. Hand hygiene includes both use of hand sanitize, and washing hands with soap and water. Team members are required to wash their hands for a minimum of twenty seconds with healthcare grade hand soap. Between washing hands, staff can utilize healthcare grade hand sanitizer for twenty seconds and until dry to supplement hand hygiene.

HonorHealth currently follows the World Health Organization’s five moments of hand hygiene:

1. Before touching a patient or items that will touch a patient
2. Before providing a clean/aseptic procedure
3. After direct contact with body fluid
4. After touching a patient
5. After touching objects or furniture in the patient’s immediate surroundings

Ensure safe patient care, reduce the spread of healthcare-associated infections and practice hand hygiene.

Collins, Amy. “Preventing Health Care–Associated Infections.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2008, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21328782/.

Edmond-Wilson, Sarah, et al. “Review of Human Hand Microbiome Research.” Review of Human Hand Microbiome Research, Journal of Dermatological Science, 23 July 2015, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923181115300268#:~:text=Human%20hands%20are%20a%20conduit,%2Dhandling%20settings%20%5B10%5D.