Hand hygiene on the floor

In short

Hand hygiene is the basis of infection prevention, but it quickly comes under pressure during busy shifts. Clear moments, facilities within reach and kindly reminding each other make the difference.

Uncertainty about hygienic working is a signal I see in many teams. Everyone knows hand hygiene is important, but in practice it sometimes slips. Not out of unwillingness, but because of time pressure, unclear agreements or facilities in the wrong place. On this page you can read how to improve hand hygiene on the floor in concrete terms.

The five moments

A widely used starting point is the five moments for hand hygiene:

Before contact with the client.
Before a clean or aseptic procedure.
After possible contact with body fluids.
After contact with the client.
After contact with the client's immediate surroundings.

That last moment in particular is easily forgotten. Which other guidelines you follow derives from your organisation's infection prevention policy.

Where it goes wrong in practice

Bottlenecks are often in small things: a dispenser that is empty, gloves kept on too long, jewellery or long sleeves, or a route through the corridor where hands unnoticeably get dirty again. By joining a shift I map those moments, together with the team. What becomes visible can be discussed.

Habits that last

A poster on the wall changes little. What does work is agreeing together how you do it and reminding each other in a normal tone. I help teams with short, practical agreements that suit their ward. That is part of my work on hygienic working. More background can be found in the article hygienic working on the ward.

Making it a habit

Hand hygiene only really works when it is a habit, even when things are busy. A team that applies the agreements every day does not have to think about it. How to record such agreements together is explained on recording team agreements in care.

I help with this through hygienic working and consistent working agreements. Want to know what that means for your organisation? Schedule an introduction.

Tip from Janneke

Look at the location of the hand sanitiser with the team. Is it on the route colleagues actually walk?

Frequently asked questions

Do gloves replace hand hygiene?

No. Even when using gloves, hand hygiene before and after remains necessary, in line with your organisation's guidelines.

How do you remind colleagues without it becoming awkward?

By agreeing on it together and making it a habit. If everyone knows it is part of the job, a remark does not feel like criticism.

Can I also observe during a normal shift?

Yes, joining a shift is often the best way to see where things are difficult in practice. We agree this in advance in the assignment.

Prefer to talk in person?

I am happy to drop by for a coffee to discuss your question.

Schedule an introduction Contact