Abstract :
ISSUE: Clean hands are the single most important factor in preventing the spread of dangerous germs and antibiotic resistance in healthcare settings, according to Julie Gerberding, M.D., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet studies indicate that only about 40% of healthcare workers use appropriate hand hygiene. Our hospital staffʹs compliance was better than 40%, but we still had room for improvement.
PROJECT: To keep hand hygiene in the forefront of our hospital healthcare workersʹ thoughts, our infection control department staff designed monthly signs to advertise a catchy phrase or jingle for hand hygiene. One of the most popular campaigns for February was Celebrate Presidentʹs Day (with pictures of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington), which implored the staff to celebrate by “Lincoln your hand hygiene practices to Washing tons of hands.” In April, “we hopped into good health with clean paws.” When we linked the time for handwashing with singing one verse of a popular song, staff reported hearing peers singing while they washed.
RESULTS: For the first time, our healthcare workers in all departments of our facility are self-reporting to the infection control staff about hand hygiene compliance. We have had positive feedback from our staff as well as requests to let them know what we will be doing next. We have significantly improved our hand hygiene compliance.
LESSONS LEARNED: Instead of nagging hand hygiene participants, we are entertaining them into compliance. This successful advertising campaign for compliance with hand hygiene has been shared with all the hospitals in our healthcare system.
