Effective handwashing and infection control practices are top of mind for ASC leaders. Here are three that experts shared with Becker's ASC Review:
1. Nursing leaders can eliminate confusion about hand hygiene protocol by educating other nurses about the World Health Oragnization''s five moments for hand hygiene, suggests the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
2. Monitoring compliance with standardized infection control procedures both digitally and observationally ensures procedures are being followed consistently by staff, according to ASC software developer Simplify ASC.
3. Hand hygiene is extremely important for all providers, regardless of the healthcare setting, according to Jeff Brady, MD, of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The agency's toolkit to safety in ASCs offers resources for maintaining good hand hygiene practices. Healthcare providers, on average, clean their hands less than half of the times they should, the CDC says. The federal agency also has tools and resources to help providers improve their hand hygiene practices.