Hand Hygiene is a big deal and not to mention part of your on-going infection control program. You can never run out of protocols for implementing and monitoring safe practices for hand hygiene. You may ponder the thought, “I wash my hands all the time Nicole what’s the big deal?” The big deal happens to be you’re in the business of healthcare, your surgical staff must visually show and provide documentation that all hands (employed staff and credentialed staff) are consistently kept clean and sanitized to kill viruses before and after contact with the patient.
In centers where alcohol based hand rubs dispensers are installed you must insure that dispensers are installed in areas limited to staff access, or under constant staff control to prevent unauthorized access. If you have multiple dispensers they must be spaced at least 4 feet apart and the dispensers are not installed over or adjacent to an ignition source. Remember we must adhere to applicable local and state conditions and requirements.
Purell® gets my vote, not only is it a household name, it is also recognizable in the healthcare community. You don’t have to worry of possible leaks or spills that could increase risk of falling or slipping (a.k.a, fall prevention policy). The easy install adapter adds a nice professional touch to your surgery center, it shows you care.
The accrediting body wants to see that you maintain an active and on-going infection control program by utilizing and implementing nationally recognized infection control guidelines such as AORN, CDC, or WHO.
The CDC Desktop Reference Tools and Strategies for Infection Control Best Practices CD-ROM is designed to help you retrieve key infection control guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The material provided is in an easy to read format and it is an invaluable resource for your infection control program. A must have to save to your desktop computer in the nurses station.
If you ‘re up for Re-accreditation with AAAHC or if this is the year you decide to go for your initial accreditation with AAAHC then the 2012 AAAHC Accreditation Handbook is a must “read” and a must “have” & it’s available now for purchase.
Inside the pages you will find all of the standards in which you have to meet for 2012. With that in mind it’s time to get cracking and revise some of your policies or if you are new to this you will be busy creating new policies for your surgery center. I am in the process of getting some centers ready and here’s a little hint to what’s inside the handbook; there’s a lot of details regarding the infection control program. Make sure your IC program is strong. Who is in charge of the infection control program in your facility?
