"5 Moments of Hand Hygiene: NSW's Essential Guide"

Hand hygiene is a crucial aspect of infection prevention and control, and NSW Health takes this seriously. The "5 Moments of Hand Hygiene" is a globally recognized strategy that promotes hand hygiene at key times to reduce healthcare-associated infections. Let's delve into this important topic and understand how NSW Health implements this strategy.

Understanding the 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene

The "5 Moments of Hand Hygiene" is a WHO-recommended strategy that focuses on five critical times when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene:

• Before touching a patient
• After touching a patient
• Before a clean/aseptic procedure
• After a clean/aseptic procedure
• After exposure to body fluids

NSW Health's Commitment to Hand Hygiene

NSW Health is committed to reducing healthcare-associated infections and improving patient safety. The implementation of the "5 Moments of Hand Hygiene" strategy is a key part of this commitment. The NSW Health Hand Hygiene Strategy aims to achieve and maintain a hand hygiene compliance rate of 90% or above across all NSW Health facilities.

Hand Hygiene Products Used in NSW Health

NSW Health uses alcohol-based hand sanitizers as the primary hand hygiene product. These are provided at the point of care in all NSW Health facilities. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective, convenient, and have a rapid onset of action. They are also less likely to cause skin irritation compared to soap and water.

Educating Healthcare Workers on the 5 Moments

NSW Health provides regular education and training to healthcare workers on the "5 Moments of Hand Hygiene". This includes online modules, face-to-face training, and regular reminders. The education focuses on the why, when, and how of hand hygiene, as well as the correct technique for hand rubbing and hand washing.

Monitoring and Improving Hand Hygiene Compliance

NSW Health uses a variety of methods to monitor hand hygiene compliance and identify areas for improvement. These include direct observation, self-reporting, and feedback from patients and carers. The data collected is used to inform targeted interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance.

Patient and Visitor Involvement in Hand Hygiene

NSW Health encourages patients and visitors to be involved in hand hygiene. This includes reminding healthcare workers to perform hand hygiene and performing hand hygiene themselves. Patient and visitor involvement is a key part of the NSW Health Hand Hygiene Strategy and helps to create a culture of safety.

Hand Hygiene in the Time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hand hygiene. NSW Health has implemented additional measures to promote hand hygiene, including providing hand sanitizer stations at entrances to all NSW Health facilities and encouraging the use of hand sanitizer before and after visiting patients.

Conclusion

The "5 Moments of Hand Hygiene" is a critical strategy for reducing healthcare-associated infections and improving patient safety. NSW Health's commitment to this strategy, along with its comprehensive education, monitoring, and patient involvement initiatives, demonstrates its dedication to providing high-quality, safe healthcare.