a dispenser from the middle of the room to near the door. But that's
not all we did.
• Self-policing. We trained staff, auditors and senior nurses to do
"just in time" coaching. If they're walking around and they see some-
one is about to do a task that requires them to sanitize their hands,
they're to stop them and remind them to push the dispenser.
• Code word yellow. Just as a yellow traffic light means caution, we
trained staff to subtly alert colleagues — without alarming patients —
to wash their hands by saying the word "yellow."
• Posters. We placed "Are your hands clean?" posters next to the
doors in every room that lead out to the core to remind staff rushing
out the door to stop and sanitize their hands.
Kizzie Charles, MS, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CNOR
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, N.Y.
charlesk@mskcc.org
