FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING
PROCEDURE 1
HANDWASHING
POSITIONING & DRAPING
VITAL SIGNS
HANDWASHING
Objectives:
1. Define handwashing.
2. Explain the importance of handwashing.
3. Describe when handwashing should be
performed.
4. Perform the handwashing procedure.
HANDWASHING
• Also known as hand hygiene.
• The act of cleaning hands using soap and
water for the purpose of removing soil, dirt
and microorganisms.
• It is the most basic and most important
precaution in infection control.
Purposes of Handwashing
• To reduce the number of microorganisms on the
hands.
• To reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms
to clients.
• To reduce the risk of cross contamination among
clients.
• To reduce the risk of transmission of infectious
organisms to oneself.
5 Moments of Hand Hygiene
Why Wash Hands?
Perform hand hygiene to:
Protect the patient against
harmful germs carried on
your hands and present on
his/her own skin.
Protect yourself and the
health-care environment
from harmful germs.
Equipment and Materials
• Liquid Soap
• Hand towel
• Tissue paper
• Orange wood stick
• Lotion
• Sink and faucet with
running water
PROCEDURE
ACTION RATIONALE
1. Gather the necessary supplies. Stand in To save time and energy.
front of the sink. Do not allow your
clothing to touch the sink during the
washing procedure.
2. Remove jewelry, if possible, and secure Microorganisms can lodge in jewelry.
in a safe place.
3. Turn on faucet. Regulate the of water Room temperature water removes less of
and set to room temperature. the protective oils of the skin.
4. Wet the hands and wrist area. Keep The water should flow from the least
hands lower than elbow to allow water to contaminated (elbows) to the most
flow toward fingertips contaminated area (hands).
5. Use about 5 ml or 1 teaspoon liquid Soap facilitate the removal of
soap from dispenser and lather microorganisms by reducing surface
thoroughly. Cover all areas of hands with tension. Liquid soap harbors less bacteria
soap product. than bar soap, thereby preventing cross
contamination.
PROCEDURE
ACTION RATIONALE
6. With firm rubbing and circular motion, • Circular motion creates friction that
a. Rub the palms together helps remove microorganisms
b. Rub the back of each hand mechanically.
c. Rub both hands while interlacing the • Interlacing the fingers cleans the
fingers. interdigital spaces.
d. Rub the fingers • Nails and fingertips are commonly
e. Rub the thumb missed during handwashing.
f. Rub the tips of fingers
g. Rotational rub the wrist and forearm
7. Continue friction motion for at least 15
seconds each arm.
8. Use orangewood stick to clean under Orange wood stick facilitate removal of
fingernails. dirt and other materials under the nails.
PROCEDURE
ACTION RATIONALE
9. Rinse thoroughly with water flowing The flow of the water rinses away dirt and
toward fingertips. microorganisms. The hand is positioned
such that water does not run the arms
and back down again recontaminating the
clean area.
10. Pat hands dry with hand towel, • Pat drying prevents friction which can
beginning with the fingers and moving cause chapping of the skin. Drying
upward toward forearms and discard it from the cleanest (hand) to the least
immediately. Use disposable tissue to clean (elbow) prevents transfer of
turn off the faucet. Discard immediately. microorganisms to the cleanest area.
• The action prevents the nurse from
picking up microorganisms from the
faucet handle.
• Proper disposal of used tissue will
prevent spread of microorganisms.
11. Use oil-free lotion on hands if desired. This action prevents drying of the skin.
THANK YOU!
