Save a life: Wash your hands, plus the 9 times you should always be washing your hands
Clean hands save lives. Today is World Hand Hygiene Day and to celebrate, staff at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital are showing their clean hands and sharing why hand hygiene is important to them.
| “We are modeling healthy behaviors, attempting to make our community safer!” – Jackie Beach, R.N., and Emily Lowry, R.N., mother-baby unit |
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| “Hand Hygiene is important to me because it’s a great way to prevent germs and infections.” – Stephanie Jackson, coordinator, Neurology St. Matthews |
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| “We want to reach our goal of zero patients harmed through hand hygiene.” – Pre-admission testing department: Jennifer Thomas, APRN; Shannon Allen; Jessica Jansing, R.N.; Kim Phelps, R.N. |
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| “Participation in hand hygiene is the most important thing we can do to protect our patients and each other.” – Frances Johnson, PCA, mother-baby unit |
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| “We must protect ourselves and our patients from infections.” – Kendra Henderson, medical assistant, Norton Surgical Specialist – St. Matthews |
Good hand hygiene isn’t just for health care workers — it’s for everyone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these recommendations for when you should wash your hands:
- Before, during and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal food or treats, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
When washing your hands, be sure to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and dry with a clean towel or air dry them.
Keeping one another safe and germ-free is in everyone’s hands. Wash your hands today and every day. You might just save a life.
