In a popular TV show a character gave a comical alternative
name for the iPhone he named it, ‘a slippery germ brick.’ Well in the Henry
Ford Hospital that is exactly what the administrative leadership was trying to display
to their staff. In an effort to increase hygiene practices hospital leadership swabbed
commonly touched surfaces and items such as doorknobs and phones and then
showed the staff what was germs were lingering around.
Healthcare professionals can become complacent or numb about
the fact that they work in a germ infested environment. This visual experiment
was a tangible reminder that washing hands and following proper procedure helps
them and their patients.
But what continues to
be the best form of hygiene compliance and lessened bacterial infections,
patients. Patients speaking out and asking health care professionals to wash
their hands when they enter their room. It’s not rude, it’s a reminder. A hand
washing health policy is only as good as those who follow it and its always
better to be without a bacterial infection.
Share your Thoughts:
What health policy would you use to encourage hygiene in a hospital?
Have you ever been a patient and asked a health care professional to wash their
hands? Are you a health care professional, what is the health policy where you
work?
Thank you to Baylor MBA in Healthcare for educating and
encouraging lifelong learning and leadership.
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