Hand Hygiene: Educate Your Staff

Since COVID-19 came into our world, hand hygiene has taken on a whole new level of importance.

Handwashing is a simple infection control method that can be easily performed by everyone in your practice or facility. Using an alcohol-based hand rub or soap with water reduces the number of pathogens on your hands. This, in turn, reduces the spread of infection to others.

The CDC recommends alcohol-based hand rubs (60-95% alcohol) as preferred method of hand hygiene in healthcare settings unless your hands are visibly soiled. Then soap and water are most appropriate.

Staff Education

It is important for all staff members, especially those in patient care areas, to understand when to wash their hands and the special considerations some common pathogens require to effectively prevent the spread of infections. LHA Trust Funds has developed an educational guide designed to be used to educate staff members on proper hand hygiene. This guide is a perfect handout to use at Skills Fairs and at new hire orientation.

Want more hand hygiene resources? Visit our Hand Hygiene toolkit for more staff education materials, hand hygiene protocols, and more.

1 in 31 hospitalized patients acquire at least one hospital-acquired infection. Our claim study shows how these infections can impact both patients and healthcare providers. Read more.