The following are 10 tools for ASCs to employ in pursuit of improving and reinforcing patient safety, published on Becker’s Infection Control & Clinical Quality.
Hand hygiene
1. WHO hand hygiene observation chart. The World Health Organization offers a free, downloadable observation form for provider organizations to complete when monitoring hand hygiene compliance.
2. IHI's guide to improving hand hygiene. The guide includes recommended evidence-based interventions, measurement support tools and tips on how to improve hand hygiene compliance, including establishing a team, setting goals and measuring results in healthcare settings.
3. Survey of staff's hand hygiene perception. The Minnesota Hospital Association offers a complimentary questionnaire surveying staff on hand hygiene perception and practices. The survey is adapted from the World Health Organization Perception Survey for Health Care Workers
4. CDC hand hygiene posters in 6 languages. The agency has updated offerings for two of its posters, "Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands" and "One Trillion Germs can Live in a Gram of Poop," which are now offered in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bengali and Chinese.
Antimicrobial stewardship
5. Clorox terminal cleaning tool kit. Clorox Healthcare has developed the Terminal Cleaning Tool Kit to help infection preventionists and environmental services professionals understand the importance of terminal cleaning, or cleaning a patient care area after a patient's departure.
6. AHA's antimicrobial stewardship program toolkit. The American Hospital Association, along with six national partners, has released a toolkit to help hospitals and health systems improve their antimicrobial stewardship programs. Team Check-In
7. AORN's national time out day poster. The Association for periOperative Registered Nurses provides a free downloadable poster that encourages members of the surgical team to recommit to safe surgical practices.
8. AORN surgical sharps safety resources. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses offers an extensive sharps safety toolkit to help teach evidence-based practices and prevention techniques to decrease sharps injuries during surgery.
9. 8 strategies for perioperative nurses to improve patient safety. The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety offers a complimentary poster featuring eight strategies to improve perioperative patient safety.
10. Reporting data while protecting patient privacy. The Patient Safety Organization Privacy Protection Center offers tools for reporting data to patient safety organizations while ensuring patient information remains confidential.
Hand hygiene
1. WHO hand hygiene observation chart. The World Health Organization offers a free, downloadable observation form for provider organizations to complete when monitoring hand hygiene compliance.
2. IHI's guide to improving hand hygiene. The guide includes recommended evidence-based interventions, measurement support tools and tips on how to improve hand hygiene compliance, including establishing a team, setting goals and measuring results in healthcare settings.
3. Survey of staff's hand hygiene perception. The Minnesota Hospital Association offers a complimentary questionnaire surveying staff on hand hygiene perception and practices. The survey is adapted from the World Health Organization Perception Survey for Health Care Workers
4. CDC hand hygiene posters in 6 languages. The agency has updated offerings for two of its posters, "Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands" and "One Trillion Germs can Live in a Gram of Poop," which are now offered in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bengali and Chinese.
Antimicrobial stewardship
5. Clorox terminal cleaning tool kit. Clorox Healthcare has developed the Terminal Cleaning Tool Kit to help infection preventionists and environmental services professionals understand the importance of terminal cleaning, or cleaning a patient care area after a patient's departure.
6. AHA's antimicrobial stewardship program toolkit. The American Hospital Association, along with six national partners, has released a toolkit to help hospitals and health systems improve their antimicrobial stewardship programs. Team Check-In
7. AORN's national time out day poster. The Association for periOperative Registered Nurses provides a free downloadable poster that encourages members of the surgical team to recommit to safe surgical practices.
8. AORN surgical sharps safety resources. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses offers an extensive sharps safety toolkit to help teach evidence-based practices and prevention techniques to decrease sharps injuries during surgery.
9. 8 strategies for perioperative nurses to improve patient safety. The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety offers a complimentary poster featuring eight strategies to improve perioperative patient safety.
10. Reporting data while protecting patient privacy. The Patient Safety Organization Privacy Protection Center offers tools for reporting data to patient safety organizations while ensuring patient information remains confidential.
