Protect yourself and hospital patients by cleaning your hands
Patients, visitors and staff across Hywel Dda University Health Board are being reminded to Clean their Hands.
The World Health Organisation’s SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands Day on 5 May, 2014 is part of a major global effort to support healthcare workers to improve hand hygiene in healthcare.
Sharon Evans, Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse for Hywel University Dda Health Board, said: “Proper hand washing with soap and warm water is the single most important thing you can do to help reduce the spread of infections and help protect you, your family and those around you.
“Most healthcare associated infections are preventable through good hand hygiene and it can also protect you in the community as the most common way germs are spread is by people's hands.
“When visiting a friend or relative in hospital or any environment where healthcare is provided, it is especially important to ensure you clean your hands by cleaning them with both soap and water and alcohol gel in order to help prevent the spread of infection.”
As part of the events taking place for the day Coleg Sir Gar will be at Prince Philip Hospital on May 8 offering hand treatments to staff to promote skin integrity.
Shan Moses, Infection Prevention and Control Co-ordinator, said: “Looking after your hands is all part of hand hygiene protecting the skin from drying and cracking is important, as it may harbour microorganisms and broken areas can become contaminated.
“Research has shown that nails can harbour potentially harmful bacteria. Caring for nails helps prevent the harbouring of microorganisms, which could then be transferred to those who are receiving care.”
Handwashing guidelines:
The World Health Organisation’s SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands Day on 5 May, 2014 is part of a major global effort to support healthcare workers to improve hand hygiene in healthcare.
Sharon Evans, Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse for Hywel University Dda Health Board, said: “Proper hand washing with soap and warm water is the single most important thing you can do to help reduce the spread of infections and help protect you, your family and those around you.
“Most healthcare associated infections are preventable through good hand hygiene and it can also protect you in the community as the most common way germs are spread is by people's hands.
“When visiting a friend or relative in hospital or any environment where healthcare is provided, it is especially important to ensure you clean your hands by cleaning them with both soap and water and alcohol gel in order to help prevent the spread of infection.”
As part of the events taking place for the day Coleg Sir Gar will be at Prince Philip Hospital on May 8 offering hand treatments to staff to promote skin integrity.
Shan Moses, Infection Prevention and Control Co-ordinator, said: “Looking after your hands is all part of hand hygiene protecting the skin from drying and cracking is important, as it may harbour microorganisms and broken areas can become contaminated.
“Research has shown that nails can harbour potentially harmful bacteria. Caring for nails helps prevent the harbouring of microorganisms, which could then be transferred to those who are receiving care.”
Handwashing guidelines:
- Rub palm to palm
- Rub back of each hand with palm of other hand and interlock your fingers
- Rub palm to palm again with fingers interlocking
- Grip your hand with the other finger to finger and rub
- Rub each thumb using the opposite hand
- Rub circles with your tips of fingers in opposite palm
- Make sure you wash your wrists, too
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