How MRSA Rates Sunk 42% at SC Health System
By Jennifer Thew, RN
After a South Carolina health system introduced an electronic system for monitoring handwashing compliance among clinical staff, it saw MRSA rates plummet.
Discussions about handwashing irk me because there is no excuse for healthcare professionals to not wash their hands. It’s simple, only takes 20 seconds, and we’ve all been educated about the dangers of viruses and bacteria—especially the drug-resistant kinds—pose to our patients.
So can’t we just wash our hands already?
But after talking with Connie Steed, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, director of infection prevention of Greenville (SC) Health System, I realize applying NIke’s concept of “Just Do It” to hand hygiene is too simplistic.
There’s more to hand hygiene than just washing your hands. Duration and frequency of handwashing is also extremely important.
“It really shouldn’t be rub in, rub out, or zap the dispenser when you go in and out,” Steed says. At GHS, the hand hygiene policy is based on World Health Organization’s Five Moments for Handwashing and it’s monitored through both direct observation and an electronic, algorithm-based monitoring system.