Nursing & Healthcare Programs

Handwashing for CNAs

Written by Hollie Finders, RN
Hollie Finders is a registered nurse with years of experience working in the health care field. She has degrees in both biochemistry and nursing. After working with patients of all ages, Hollie now specializes in pediatric intensive care nursing. Hollie’s LinkedIn

Handwashing Procedure

Equipment needed: sink, soap, and paper towels

  1. Turn on faucet and adjust water temperature to a comfortable setting.
  2. If necessary, roll up sleeves. From this point forward, avoid readjusting the water temperature or touching any part of the sink.
  3. Wet hands, keeping arms angled downward, so the water runs from cleanest area (wrists) to the dirtiest area (fingertips).
  4. Apply soap to hands.
  5. Create a lather by rubbing hands together. Scrub all surfaces of the wrists, hands, fingers, spaces between fingers, thumbs, and cuticles for a minimum of 15 seconds.
  6. Clean beneath fingernails by gently scratching them in the palm of the opposite hand or by scraping under each nail individually.
  7. Thoroughly rinse all cleansed surfaces to remove any remaining suds. Remember to angle arms to keep the fingers lower than the wrists.
  8. Use a clean, dry paper towel to dry hands. Discard the used paper towel. Don’t shake hands to dry them.
  9. Use another clean paper towel to turn off the faucet. Discard the used paper towel.
  10. If hands are contaminated at any point in this process, stop and repeat steps 1-9.

The Importance of Handwashing

Handwashing is considered the single most important practice to prevent the spread of infection [1]. Even when hands look clean, they could potentially be crawling with dangerous microorganisms and pathogens. Using soap and friction during handwashing helps loosen the oils on the skin, allowing dirt and pathogens to be rinsed away.

In the health care setting, handwashing is a key component of standard precautions and an infection control measure that applies to all patients regardless of their infection status [2]. Failure to wash one’s hands puts the patient receiving care, other patients, and the health care worker at risk of infection. All health care workers are expected to wash their hands before and after every patient encounter, between cases, before and after wearing gloves, and any time the hands are soiled. Using proper handwashing technique helps break the chain of infection and creates a safer environment for all individuals.

References

1. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/infection/infection.html

2. http://www.cdc.gov/hai/settings/outpatient/basic-infection-control-prevention-plan-2011/fundamental-of-infection-prevention.html

More Resources

Moving the Resident from a Bed to a Stretcher or Gurney

Moving a patient from a bed to a stretcher can pose huge safety risks to both the patient and to the health care workers completing the transfer. Always use the appropriate amount of people to complete a transfer, which may vary according to the patient’s weight and/or the facility’s policy. In some cases, a mechanical lift may be needed.

Moving the Resident to the Side of the Bed

Residents are usually kept in the center of the bed for safety reasons. However, moving a resident to the side of the bed is an important step to take before turning a resident onto his or her side. Performing this action allows the resident to end up side lying in the center of the bed and not smashed up against the side rail.

Perineal Care of the Female Resident

Perineal care should be performed during a bath, after using the bedpan, and/or after incontinence. Proper technique is important for maintaining hygiene, preventing infection, and avoiding skin breakdown. Because of the close proximity between a woman’s urethra, vagina, and anus, it is essential to only wipe in a front to back motion. Wiping in the opposite direction is associated with a greater risk for developing a urinary tract infection.

Putting on Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment is worn to protect the mouth, nose, eyes, clothing, and skin from unwanted pathogens. In the health care setting, a patient’s condition often prompts the use of personal protective equipment; however, a health care worker is able to wear personal protective equipment whenever he or she deems it is necessary (e.g., during procedures with the potential for excessive contact with bodily fluids).

Prone Position

Prone position is not used as commonly as other patient positions. This position allows for full extension of the hips and the knees and gives many bony prominences a break from continuous pressure. However, placing patients in prone position does not come without the risks of pressure ulcers.

Passive Range of Motion Exercises

Range of motion exercises are used to help prevent or decrease contractures, improve flexibility of joints, and improve strength [1]. Bedridden patients as well as those with reduced mobility may greatly benefit from passive range of motion exercises. However, do not perform these exercises without an order to do so, as it may be contraindicated in certain situations.