Hand Hygiene

Hand Hygiene

Credits: 1.00   Post-Assessment Questions:  4

Release Date: 5 Oct 2020
Expiration Date: 23 Aug 2021
Last Reviewed: 23 Aug 2020
Estimated Time To Finish: 60 Minutes

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Activity Description

Handwashing practices in the patient care setting began in the early 19th century. The practice evolved over the years with evidential proof of its vast importance and coupled with other hand-hygienic practices, decreased pathogens responsible for nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections (HAI). Contaminated hands of healthcare providers are a primary source of pathogenic spread. Proper hand hygiene decreases the proliferation of microorganisms, thus reducing infection risk and overall healthcare costs, length of stays, and ultimately, reimbursement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand hygiene is the single most important practice in the reduction of the transmission of infection in healthcare settings. This activity illustrates the importance of handwashing and highlights the importance of the interprofessional team in educating patients about preventing infections and improving outcomes by remembering to wash hands frequently.

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of nurses.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learner will be better able to:

• Identify the indications for handwashing.
• Describe the technique of handwashing in healthcare institutions.
• Explain how handwashing decreases risk of infection transmission.

Author(s) / Contributors Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Each author, editor, faculty and planning committee member have completed a disclosure form indicating that neither they nor their spouse/partner has a financial interest/arrangement or affiliation that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest related to the content of this activity.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT: This activity has received NO commercial support.

Contributors

Hover over the contributor names to see details and disclosures of any financial relationships or relationships they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this continuing education activity.

Authors: Tammy Toney-Butler, Adi Gasner
Editors: Niki Carver
Editors-In-Chief: Stacia Hays
Chief Medical Reviewer: David Tapscott
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Lisa Haddad
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Bernadette Makar
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Dorothy Caputo
Pharmacy Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Mark Pellegrini
Physician Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Scott Dulebohn

Continuing Education Accreditation Information

This activity is jointly provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and StatPearls. AKH, Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity is awarded 1.00 Contact Hours.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be received in writing and a money-back guarantee is provided if not completely satisfied.

• StatPearls and AKH reserve the right to cancel any course due to unforeseen circumstances. StatPearls and AKH will not be responsible for other expenses incurred by the participant in the unlikely event that the program is canceled.

Equal Opportunity

• StatPearls and AKH are Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action / Equal Access Institutions. 

Medium or Media Used:

• Computer Requirements:  Internet Access
• E-mail Address

Instructions for Credit

1. Register for the activity and create a StatPearls login.     
2. Review the required accreditation information:  Target audience, learning objectives and disclosure information.
3. Complete the entire self-study activity.
4. Complete the post-test assessments.
5. Successfully pass the post-test with a minimum score of 100%.
6. Complete the evaluation form.
7. Obtain a certificate.

StatPearls and AKH adhere to ANCC Standards regarding commercial support of continuing nursing education. It is the policy of StatPearls and AKH that the faculty and planning committee disclose real or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of this educational activity, that relevant conflict(s) of interest are resolved and also that authors and editors will disclose any unlabeled/unapproved use of drug(s) or device(s) during their presentation. Detailed disclosure will be made prior to starting the activity.

The information provided at this CNE activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.

• If you have concerns regarding the CE system, please contact support@statpearls.com, or call 727-289-9796.
• If you have concerns regarding CE, please contact service@akhcme.com or call AKH 877-AKH-CME4.

Media Usage Rights

The contributors and editors of StatPearls have attested that all associated media (images and video) have been legally cleared for use with this activity.  All copyrights are reserved.

• Name: 'Hand Washing.png' Attribution: Contributed by Ariana Passaretti, RN and Tammy J. Toney-Butler, AS, RN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN