Becoming a Hand Hygiene Influencer
Alison Pickering1, , 1Surgical Treatment And Rehabilitation Services (STARS), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Background
As our hospital hand hygiene (HH) rate was consistently 75% since opening in 2021, this quality improvement aimed to improve rates by 10% to above the national standard requirement 80%.
Traditional Hand Hygiene Auditor training requires a time commitment that proves impossible for some clinical streams. An alternate education program aimed to increase HH awareness and influence change was implemented.
Method
An Influencer program was developed and trialled for 50 healthcare workers across all disciplines. These staff participated in one 2-hour session delivered by Infection Prevention, with the aim of enabling the healthcare workers to exert influence to facilitate change in hand hygiene practice. The training session key focus was on improving the communication messages of hand hygiene to peers with tips and tricks given to improve participant confidence and knowledge. On completion, participants received a brightly coloured work shirt ‘Stop the germs clean your hands’. The bright colour acted as a visual aid to staff allowing the Influencer to be approached to answer HH questions. The program attracted medical officers, members of the executive, food service officers, nurses, allied health and patient support officers.
Results
6% increase in hand hygiene rates within the first 2 months of the program.
Conclusion
The use of Influencer to facilitate change in hand hygiene practices is initially successful. Empowering all levels of staff across the facility to influence the practices of others may be an effective methodology to affect change.
Biography
I am the Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) of the Infection Management and Prevention team at Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) in Herston Brisbane. I have a passion for Paediatrics, immunisation, preventing urinary tract infections and streamlining surveillance programs to have a collaborative working relationship with health information management.
Qualifications:
Masters in public health, Communicable Disease Control – JCU
Immunisation Program Nurse – USQ
Graduate Certificate in Paediatric and Child Youth Health Nursing – QUT