Did you know that the importance of hand washing and proper hand hygiene has been recognized in the medical community since the mid-1800s? And here’s another interesting bit of hand-washing trivia: During the mid-19th century, one of the practice’s first major proponents was none other than Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered to be history’s most famous nurse.
Of course, even centuries later, healthcare hand hygiene is still critical to saving lives — and hand washing is key to preventing the spread of illness far beyond the hospital and the doctor’s office. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teaching communities the importance of hand hygiene and how to properly wash hands can:
- Reduce cases of diarrhea by up to 40%
- Cut diarrheal illness in those with compromised immune systems by nearly 60%
- Decrease respiratory illnesses such as colds in the community by upward of 20%
- Lessen gastrointestinal illness-induced absenteeism among schoolchildren by as much as 57%
For these reasons and more, National Handwashing Awareness Week is marked each year in the United States during the first full week in December. The observance highlights the importance of hand hygiene, proper hand-washing technique and proper hand-washing steps. (And it shouldn’t be confused with Global Handwashing Day, which is marked worldwide each October 15 to bring awareness to the importance of washing hands with soap and water.)
The role of hand washing in healthcare settings
Proper hand hygiene is especially important in healthcare settings, where the presence of patients with compromised immune systems and the need for sterile conditions during surgical procedures, among other reasons, make cleanliness critical. In fact, according to the scientific evidence, proper hand hygiene can cut the number of infections acquired during the delivery of healthcare in half.
With this in mind, strict hand-washing protocols are typically mandated in the U.S. for healthcare workers in an effort to maximize hospital hygiene, ensure patient safety and reduce the risk of nosocomial infections (also known as hospital-acquired infections). Patients and visitors are also encouraged to maintain proper hand hygiene in these settings to prevent the spread of germs and to maintain infection control.
At Wilmington Health, patients are encouraged to participate in hand hygiene compliance efforts by taking actions such as:
- speaking up for clean hands in healthcare settings
- cleaning their own hands and asking those around them to do the same
- not being afraid to use their voices: It’s okay to ask healthcare providers to clean their hands.
Hand washing in public places and navigating hygiene concerns
Because germs can be more readily spread anywhere large numbers of people gather, public hand washing is an essential part of public hygiene and maintaining public health. Of course, proper restroom hygiene, including appropriate hand washing after restroom use, is among the most important ways to control the spread of germs in public places.
Other leading ways to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses in public settings include:
- mobile hand-washing stations, which can support proper hand hygiene in outdoor places where large numbers of people gather but running water is not readily available
- touch-free dispensers for soap, which can reduce the spread of germs by eliminating the need for all users to touch the dispenser during the hand-washing process
- hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, which (while not as effective as hand washing) can quickly reduce the presence of germs on the skin when soap and water are not available. To effectively use hand sanitizer, you should put the product on your hands and rub them together until they feel dry, ensuring that all hand surfaces are covered by the sanitizer. The entire process should take around 20 seconds.
When to wash your hands
Some of the key times to wash your hands to reduce the spread of germs include:
- before, during and after food preparation
- before and after eating
- before and after caring for someone who is ill
- before and after using the restroom
- after using public transportation, such as the subway or a bus
- before and after treating a wound
- after changing a child’s diaper or cleaning up a child who has just used the toilet
- after coughing, blowing your nose or sneezing
- after touching garbage
- after touching/handling an animal, animal feed or animal waste
How to properly wash your hands
To ensure clean hands and to cut the spread of germs, be sure to follow these five steps every time you wash your hands:
- Get your hands wet with clean, running water, which can be warm or cold.
- Apply soap to your hands and work it into a lather, making sure to cover your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
- Scrub the lather around all parts of your hands for a full 20 seconds. (Tip: By singing the “Happy Birthday” song in your head twice from beginning to end, you can ensure proper hand-washing duration.)
- Rinse your hands thoroughly using clean, running water.
- Use a clean towel or air dryer to get your hands dry.
Get TRUE Care — and a partner in maintaining your well-being — at Wilmington Health
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To learn more about the array of medical specialties covered by Wilmington Health and to find a provider who can meet your long-term healthcare needs, visit our website today.
Contributor: Toni Dural, Wilmington Health Infection Control Nurse