It is starting again. The front entrance to a skilled nursing center, posting says there is active COVID in the building. I enter, a sign in the lobby indicates that masking is recommended and there is a box of masks on the counter. There is a hand hygiene station next to the front desk, however no notice that handwashing is recommended. Of course, I use the hand sanitizer and continue into the center.

Do you think that hand hygiene would assist in our efforts to prevent the spread of infection? A resounding yes, practicing good hand hygiene is scientifically proven to reduce the spread of infection! In an interesting article published in Healthcare Hygiene magazine, a researcher found that staff hand hygiene compliance is generally 25-40% while visitor hand hygiene is usually less than 1%. Quoting from a study by Kaya, et al., noted “of patient companions and visitors, 96.2% stated that they did not receive training on the importance of handwashing during their stay in the hospital”.

Maybe it just isn’t enough to have a hand sanitizer station at the entrance of your center. Maybe you should have a posting next to the station that says, “hand hygiene is required” and add instructions for visitors on how to use the sanitizer appropriately (i.e., apply, rub hands together until sanitizer is absorbed, etc.). Trust me, everyone doesn’t know how to use hand sanitizer, it is our responsibility to educate them. Visitors are familiar with masks (although many don’t use them appropriately) and are usually compliant when masks are required. Let’s work on hand hygiene, post some signs, educate visitors, and maybe, just maybe, we can prevent that next outbreak! Stay well and stay informed!