If you have seen A Christmas Story, you'll know the
reference to "triple dog dare".
For those that haven't, it is a movie of a boy who wants nothing but a
Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Set in
winter in Indiana (think cold), the scene I am referring to has Ralphie's
friends Flick and Schwartz arguing over whether a person's tongue will stick to
a frozen flagpole. Schwartz ultimately issues Flick a "triple dog dare" and Flick's tongue gets stuck to the pole.
reference to "triple dog dare".
For those that haven't, it is a movie of a boy who wants nothing but a
Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Set in
winter in Indiana (think cold), the scene I am referring to has Ralphie's
friends Flick and Schwartz arguing over whether a person's tongue will stick to
a frozen flagpole. Schwartz ultimately issues Flick a "triple dog dare" and Flick's tongue gets stuck to the pole.
Aside from the obvious grossness factor that flag poles
are likely a breeding ground for who knows what human or animal pathogens and
certainly NEVER cleaned and the thought of sticking my tongue on it makes me
gag a bit, there is no obscure infection control subplot. It's all about the childhood concept of
daring a friend to do something.
are likely a breeding ground for who knows what human or animal pathogens and
certainly NEVER cleaned and the thought of sticking my tongue on it makes me
gag a bit, there is no obscure infection control subplot. It's all about the childhood concept of
daring a friend to do something.
To improve our HAI
rates and patient safety outcomes we have implemented infection control
bundles, we have implemented auditing programs for environmental cleaning and
for hand hygiene and we implemented antibiotic stewardship programs. Yet we
continue to see HAIs and I think many of us can give more than a dozen samples
of healthcare workers not following best practices. Perhaps, it's time to change our tact - if
you were DARED to do something by a friend or peer would that put enough
pressure on you to do what's right? What
if that DARE was said out loud in front of your other peers - what then?
rates and patient safety outcomes we have implemented infection control
bundles, we have implemented auditing programs for environmental cleaning and
for hand hygiene and we implemented antibiotic stewardship programs. Yet we
continue to see HAIs and I think many of us can give more than a dozen samples
of healthcare workers not following best practices. Perhaps, it's time to change our tact - if
you were DARED to do something by a friend or peer would that put enough
pressure on you to do what's right? What
if that DARE was said out loud in front of your other peers - what then?
May 5th, is the global SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign organized by the WHO. As of
this April 24th, 15, 596 healthcare facilities from around the globe have
registered to partake in this campaign.
SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to galvanise action at the
point of care to demonstrate that hand hygiene (HH) is the entrance door for
reducing health care-associated infection and patient safety. It also aims to
demonstrate the world's commitment to this priority area of health care.
this April 24th, 15, 596 healthcare facilities from around the globe have
registered to partake in this campaign.
SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to galvanise action at the
point of care to demonstrate that hand hygiene (HH) is the entrance door for
reducing health care-associated infection and patient safety. It also aims to
demonstrate the world's commitment to this priority area of health care.
Washing ones hands is such a simple action. It is certainly one of the primary ways to
reduce HAIs, yet worldwide the lack of compliance among healthcare workers
(HCWs) is abhorrent. According to WHO,
adherence to HH by HCWs ranges from 5% to 89% with the overall average being
38%! Further, the frequency with which
HCWs cleaned their hands ranged from 5 to 42 times per shift. Assuming an 8 hr shift, my guess is the 5
time/shift hand cleaner washes before morning and afternoon break, before lunch
and assuming they only use the toilet twice - they wash after relieving
themselves. Sounds to me like that
person cares about themselves and doesn't give 1 hoot about patient safety
outcomes.
reduce HAIs, yet worldwide the lack of compliance among healthcare workers
(HCWs) is abhorrent. According to WHO,
adherence to HH by HCWs ranges from 5% to 89% with the overall average being
38%! Further, the frequency with which
HCWs cleaned their hands ranged from 5 to 42 times per shift. Assuming an 8 hr shift, my guess is the 5
time/shift hand cleaner washes before morning and afternoon break, before lunch
and assuming they only use the toilet twice - they wash after relieving
themselves. Sounds to me like that
person cares about themselves and doesn't give 1 hoot about patient safety
outcomes.
The fact is following contact with patients and/or the
contaminated environment, pathogens can survive on hands for between 2 and 60
minutes. Moreover, HCW's hands become
more and more contaminated the longer the duration of patient care is. When HCWs fail to clean their hands during
patient care or between patients (e.g. they do not follow the Five Moments of Hand Hygiene), the likelihood for pathogen transfer from HCW to patient
increases.
contaminated environment, pathogens can survive on hands for between 2 and 60
minutes. Moreover, HCW's hands become
more and more contaminated the longer the duration of patient care is. When HCWs fail to clean their hands during
patient care or between patients (e.g. they do not follow the Five Moments of Hand Hygiene), the likelihood for pathogen transfer from HCW to patient
increases.
A study commissioned by the Joint Commission in
2008/2009, found that doctors and nurses fail to wash their hands with alarming
frequency, contributing to the 247 deaths caused each day by preventable
hospital infections. Healthcare
facilities around the globe have tried to address the problem of low hand
hygiene compliance rates through numerous techniques such as constant
monitoring and auditing, programs that involve the patient to promote hand
hygiene prior to patient care and installation of hand hygiene surveillance
equipment (cameras and RFID systems).
While compliance does improve, the long term sustainability varies. It's appalling to know that regardless of
what program is implemented there are still HCWs who believe they are
"above the law". Worse yet, is
that their peers, their patients and in even in some cases, the C-Suite
Executives are reluctant to call these people to task and point out to their
faces their lack of compliance.
2008/2009, found that doctors and nurses fail to wash their hands with alarming
frequency, contributing to the 247 deaths caused each day by preventable
hospital infections. Healthcare
facilities around the globe have tried to address the problem of low hand
hygiene compliance rates through numerous techniques such as constant
monitoring and auditing, programs that involve the patient to promote hand
hygiene prior to patient care and installation of hand hygiene surveillance
equipment (cameras and RFID systems).
While compliance does improve, the long term sustainability varies. It's appalling to know that regardless of
what program is implemented there are still HCWs who believe they are
"above the law". Worse yet, is
that their peers, their patients and in even in some cases, the C-Suite
Executives are reluctant to call these people to task and point out to their
faces their lack of compliance.
It's funny, as children we had no issue with daring our
friends to do something. We certainly
had no qualms about shouting out for all to hear that "Johnnie just picked
his nose!", why as adults have we lost this ability? Stand up and call a spade, a spade! The next time you see a friend or loved one,
a peer, a boss or a patient miss an opportunity to wash their hands, call them
on it! Quite literally, the life of one
of your loved ones could be in their hands some day! If you know they do not wash their hands when
they should, do you want to take that risk?
friends to do something. We certainly
had no qualms about shouting out for all to hear that "Johnnie just picked
his nose!", why as adults have we lost this ability? Stand up and call a spade, a spade! The next time you see a friend or loved one,
a peer, a boss or a patient miss an opportunity to wash their hands, call them
on it! Quite literally, the life of one
of your loved ones could be in their hands some day! If you know they do not wash their hands when
they should, do you want to take that risk?
Come on, I TRIPLE DOG DARE you to!
Bugging Off!
Nicole
