Infection Prevention Manual

EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN HANDWASHING POLICY: All home healthcare personnel will wash their hands before and after contact with each patient and any time their hands become soiled. All home healthcare personnel will carry antiseptic towelettes or bactericidal cleanser for those homes that do not have adequate supplies or if a sink area is judged "too contaminated" for use. GENERAL GUIDELINES: Hands should be washed: 1. Before providing patient care, regardless of whether gloves are worn. 2. Hands are visibly soiled. 3. When gloves are removed at the end of treatment. 4. Between body care sites on the patient. For example, between trach care and foot care. 5. After the use of toileted facilities. 6. After contact with any body secretions. 7. May use antibacterial gel between glove changes for patient’s with multiple wounds. RESPONSIBLE PERSONNEL: All home healthcare personnel EQUIPMENT: Soap, antiseptic towelettes/wipes, or bactericidal cleanser, paper towels PROCEDURE: 1. Bring soap, paper towels to household sink. 2. Turn on water. Adjust temperature. Water should be warm and comfortable to the touch. 3. Position hands and wrists under running water. Keep fingers pointed downward over sink. 4. Soap hands to wrist area. Do not touch sink. Keep hands and wrist below elbow level. Scrub each hand with friction covering all surfaces for at least 20 seconds. 5. Rinse hands thoroughly by holding them under running water. Unrinsed soap may cause irritation. 6. Using paper towel, dry wrists and hands, working from wrist area to fingertips. 7. Turn off faucet with paper towel. Discard paper towel in waste receptacle. 8. If it is determined that antiseptic towelettes or bactericidal will be used instead of soap/water and paper towels, hands shall be washed with soap and running water as soon as feasible. GOALS: 1. Prevent Infection & illness: keeping hands clean prevents illness at home. Hand hygiene practices are key prevention measures in healthcare settings, and public institutions, and for the safety of the food. 2. Patient and Staff Education: with more information at hand, our patients and staff will be better prepared, is our goal to continuously bring to our patient and staff educational material to help reach our goals in hand washing hygiene goals. 3. Prevent spread infections: in healthcare settings, hand hygiene can prevent potentially fatal infections from spreading from patient to patient and from patient to healthcare worker and vice-versa. PLAN: To achieve the Handwashing Goals our Agency has an In-service program annually that all field employee must participate, and annually in the field evaluation of their abilities to follow our Policy and CDC handwashing techniques (see Handwashing Evaluation Form), that must be signed by the Director of Nursing or Supervisor RN. Also encourage the use, spread of our Agencies Educational materials about the importance of Handwashing to all of our field staff and patients.