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H A N D
A N T I S E P S I S
Is it too much to ask for a rub
that dries quickly but doesn't
dry out your skin as well?
*************
emollients left your hands slimy after you washed your hands with soap and water," says Ms. Bates. "It wasn't pleasant for everybody, but these things weren't deal breakers."
To increase compliance with the gel, you'll find convenient wall-mounted dispensers outside every patient care area (6 ORs plus a procedure room), as well as around the 8 pre-op beds and 14 PACU bays. Dispensers also sit at each nurses station. To combat dryness, Ms. Bates also stocks a hand lotion that she encourages her team to apply in the morning, during their lunch break and at day's end. She discourages people from bringing in lotions from home.
Don't expect to please everybody. Ms. Bates held onto the trial products for the few staffers who "adored" the musty-smelling foam. "I
knew we'd do better with hand hygiene if they had that available to them," she says.
The quest for the perfect rub
The hand rub is considered one of the single most important acts in preventing the spread of infections in the surgical setting. But some
