Hand-washing is a key compliance issue for ASCs, according to experts.
Lynn M. Nolan, MSN, RN, and Sharon Dufault, BSN, RN, of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest (Ill.) Hospital and The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Jeff Brady, MD, shared their insights on handwashing with Becker's ASC Review.
Three tips:
1. Lynn Nolan: I have seen a hand-washing tutorial where they used something called Glow Germ. This was one of the most powerful lessons I saw because it focused on how effective/ineffective hand-washing was based on how much “glow” showed on the hands after washing.
I have also seen hand-washing improve when outside staff or leaders evaluated another area and were honest about the hand-washing fallouts or failures and addressed it in the moment.
2. Sharon Dufault: Have hand sanitizer in every bay/room in all areas of the surgery center.
3. Dr. Jeff Brady: Hand hygiene is extremely important for all providers, regardless of the healthcare setting. AHRQ's Toolkit To Improve Safety in ASCs makes resources available to assist ASC healthcare staff in maintaining good hand hygiene practices. According to the CDC, on average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should. The CDC also has tools and resources available to help providers improve their hand hygiene practices.
