The Importance of Hand Hygiene in Health Care Settings

What is the significance of good hand hygiene practices among health care personnel?

Choose the correct statement:

A) Hand hygiene is carefully followed.

B) Compliance is difficult to achieve.

C) Only nurses need to practice hand hygiene.

D) Wearing gloves reduces the need for hand hygiene.

Answer:

Hand hygiene is carefully followed.

The statement that is true of health care personnel and good hand hygiene is Hand hygiene is carefully followed.

Handwashing is critical for health-care workers, who should wash their hands thoroughly between every patient contact, after the removal of gloves, after contact with bodily fluids and potentially infectious fomites, and before and after assisting a surgeon with invasive procedures. Wearing gloves does not reduce the need for hand hygiene, as hands can still be contaminated while wearing gloves.

Proper hand hygiene is important for all health care personnel, not just nurses, as it helps prevent the spread of pathogens and reduce the risk of infections.