You know that you're a healthcare worker when you get a cold or the flu and immediately start obsessing over how it will impact your ability to do your job. You also know that there's nothing worse than having to tell patients that no, you can't help them right now because you're sick! So follow these steps to avoid getting sick and keep yourself healthy so that can continue providing excellent care for your patients:
Wash your hands.
- Wash your hands before and after touching patients.
- Wash your hands after using the bathroom.
- Wash your hands after handling soiled items, such as dirty linens or clothing.
- Wash your hands after touching non-food items that are potentially contaminated by infectious agents (e.g., bedpans). This includes any object that comes into contact with bodily fluids or secretions from a person who is known or suspected to have an infection (e.g., blood). Doing so will help prevent transmission of microorganisms from one patient/client to another via direct contact with healthcare providers' hands during caregiving activities such as patient assessment and treatment activities performed in isolation rooms or when providing personal care services such as bathing/grooming clients who may be infected by bacteria or viruses such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), etc.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough, sneeze, or blow your nose.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough, sneeze, or blow your nose.
- Don't cough into your hands.
- Don't share tissues with others.
- Don't blow your nose into your hand; use the tissue to wipe away any mucus from inside the nostrils instead.
- If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer to cleanse hands before putting them on patients or touching surfaces that could be contaminated by infectious agents (e.g., bed rails)
Use a proper sneeze guard when preparing food in a food establishment.
- Use a proper sneeze guard when preparing food in a food establishment.
- Don't put your hands on the food, especially if it's raw or ready to be served.
- Don't touch your face, nose, mouth, and eyes until you have washed your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds (the "handwashing mantra"). You should wash after sneezing or coughing as well--this is because germs from those activities can get into the body through these routes as well!
4-11: repeat points 1-3
Clean the counter after each use.
- Use disinfectant wipes to clean the counter after each use.
- Wash your hands after you clean the counter.
- Clean the sink after each use and make sure to scrub all around it, including under faucets and handles if possible. Don't forget about garbage disposals! If there is one installed in your facility, take care of it regularly by flushing out any debris and cleaning it with baking soda or vinegar (and water).
- Avoid harsh chemicals when cleaning surfaces; they can irritate skin and eyes, which are more sensitive than those of most other people working in healthcare facilities--and they don't work as well anyway!
Clean the sink after each use.
Clean the sink after each use.
After you wash your hands, clean the sink with soap and warm water. Cleaning a surface thoroughly will help prevent the spread of germs from patient to patient and worker to worker. A disinfectant can be used as well, but it must be applied in accordance with the manufacturer's directions (for example, don't leave it on too long). If you're using paper towels for this task, make sure they are disposed of properly so that they don't end up in the trashcan where someone else could get them dirty again!
It's also important to keep other surfaces in your workspace clean--especially those that are touched often by multiple people (such as doorknobs). These areas should be cleaned regularly with disinfectant wipes or sprays; if possible they should also be covered with antibacterial mats at all times so people won't have direct contact with them unless necessary (for example when opening doors).
Follow these steps to avoid getting sick!
- Wash your hands often.
- Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
- Clean the counter after each use.
- Clean the sink after each use. When cleaning up, remember that you can't see germs! So don't just wipe down surfaces with a dirty rag; instead, use germicidal wipes to disinfect them completely (or use antibacterial soap). If you're using antibacterial soap, make sure it contains at least 0.5% triclosan--this is important because some products only contain 0.3% triclosan and aren't as effective at killing germs on hard surfaces like kitchen counters and sinks.
- Use a proper sneeze guard when preparing food in a food establishment.
- Wash your hands often.
- Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
Conclusion
In conclusion, it's important to recognize that even with the best care, patients can still become infected. While most healthcare workers are well-trained in infection control and prevention techniques, there may be times when a slip-up occurs. When this happens, those affected need to be aware of who to contact so that they can receive treatment as quickly as possible.
