Date of Last Review 3/16/10
Date of Last Review 10/18/10
Date of Last Review 10/31/11
SME: Infection Control Manager
Proper hand-washing techniques minimize the spread of infection.
Follow these steps to properly wash your hands:
Step |
Action |
1 |
Stand in front of, but away from the sink and turn on the water faucet to adequate flow. |
2 |
Wet your hands under the running water. |
3 |
Place an adequate amount of soap on your hands. |
4 |
Rub your hands together using a firm circular motion for at least 15 seconds. Note: Be sure to wash your whole hand, not just the palm of your hand. |
5 |
Rinse under running water, keeping your hands pointing downward. |
6 |
Dry your hands thoroughly with a paper towel. |
7 |
Turn off the faucet using the paper towel. |
8 |
Discard the paper towel in the waste basket. |
If hands are not visibly soiled, an alcohol based hand sanitizer may be used in place of handwashing. The sanitizer may be used as an adjunct to handwashing at any time. The steps for using the hand sanitizer is as follows:
Step |
Action |
1 |
Stand in front of the hand sanitizer dispenser and pull the pump handle to dispense the gel. |
2 |
Dispense about a dime size quantity of the gel in hands. |
3 |
Rub hands together in a circular motion making sure to include the backs of hands and thumbs. |
4 |
Allow hands to air dry. |
The Joint Commission : Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infection
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