Button Monday, November 22, 2021 Hand Hygiene Reminders Proper handwashing and sanitizing is the number one way to prevent the spread of germs at home, at school or work, while navigating your everyday activities, and when receiving health care. Good hand hygiene prevents diarrhea, strep throat, the flu, and many other illnesses caused by bacteria and viruses. It’s so powerful that some healthcare pros consider it a do-it-yourself vaccine. Here’s everything you need to know: Wash frequently. There are many activities that you can pair with handwashing to ensure health and wellness for yourself and those around you. Here are the key moments to wash up: Whenever you use the toilet, help someone else use the toilet, or change a diaper Before eating and before, during, and after preparing food After blowing your nose or coughing or sneezing into your hand Before and after caring for someone who is sick or treating a cut After cleaning your house or room or touching garbage After handling animals, animal waste, or animal food When you arrive to work or school and immediately upon returning home Whenever your hands are dirty Wash thoroughly. Rinse with water and apply soap. Lather all over, including your thumbs, between your fingers, the backs of your hands, and your fingernails. Count or sing to yourself. The lathering portion of washing up should take 20 seconds. Rinse thoroughly, and use a clean towel to try your hands. Fill in with sanitizer. Sanitizer is great for cleaning hands in situations when soap and water are not available. Keep a bottle of sanitizer in your car and use it when you get into the car after shopping or other errands. You can also keep a bottle on your desk and use it after returning to your office after a meeting. Remind others. Parents are great at reminding their kids to do things, especially handwashing. But almost everyone could use a reminder now and then. Announcing your own handwashing is a great way to gently encourage others to wash too. “I am just going to wash my hands first.” One place where you shouldn’t be shy about reminding people to wash their hands is in the healthcare setting. Your provider should wash their hands when entering your exam room, before touching you, and before performing any procedure. They should also wash after they touch anything: you, bodily fluids, or the surroundings. It’s important for you to see them do it. If you notice a healthcare provider not washing in one of these moments, speak up. “Would you wash your hands, please?” The provider or nurse should stop, wash, and resume. By each taking responsibility for our germy hands and reminding others to wash frequently and thoroughly, we can improve our health and the health of those around us. Donna Barron, RN, is the infection preventionist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. Previous Article Next Article Print Tags: handwashing hand hygiene NEWS CLASSES EVENTS WELLNESS MEDICAL MATTERS 24 Nov 2021 Website Launched for ED Renovation and Expansion 23 Nov 2021 SVMC Launches Patient and Family Advisory Council 18 Nov 2021 SVMC Lab Receives National Accreditation MORE NEWS Your gift matters. Southwestern Vermont Health Care is a comprehensive health system servicing Bennington and Windham Counties in Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties in New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. Making a gift helps improve health care for our community. Give Now SVHC complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you at 800‑367‑9559 (use client code 225020 and access code 05201). CONNECT About Find a Doctor Locations Contact Privacy Statement Patient Login Careers Volunteers Support Us Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses INFORMATION CaptureRX Data Incident Hospital Report Card 2015 Community Needs Assessment 2018 Community Needs Assessment Annual Progress Report 2020 SVHC Annual Report Media Inquiries Employees For Providers | COVID-19 PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE Southwestern Vermont Health Care | 100 Hospital Drive | Bennington, VT 05201 | 802-442-6361 © 2021 Southwestern Vermont Health Care. All Rights Reserved.