Hand-washing the secret to top-notch infection control

Country Terrace RPN hailed as infection control champion

May 9, 2012 -- Deron Hamel

What’s the secret to keeping infection rates in check? Hand-washing, hand-washing, hand-washing, says registered practical nurse and infection-control lead at Country Terrace Brenna Slota.

Slota is crediting strong attention to hand-washing at the home as the driving factor that’s led to a 67 to 80 per cent hand-washing compliance rate during the most recent audit.

The OMNIway contacted Slota at the Komoka long-term care home recently after one of her colleagues sent an e-mail asking her to be profiled as an infection-control champion.

Slota says the secret to the home’s low infection rates has been diligent attention to hand-washing, monthly hand-washing audits and educating team members on the importance of keeping hands clean at all times.

“I’m constantly on the floor and I have posters all over the home from one end to the other, and I’m constantly monitoring,” she tells the OMNIway.

While the home has had some outbreaks during the past year, infections reported after outbreak have been minimal and the outbreaks have ended quickly, says Slota.

“Our outbreak rates are very good here as a rule,” she says, adding the home also has an approximately 88 per cent immunization rate.

Much of her infection-control work has been done by following processes mapped out by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Just Clean Your Hands initiative.

Slota’s dedication to infection control is one example of the excellent work nurses are doing at OMNI Health Care’s 17 long-term care homes. National Nursing Week runs May 7-13, and the OMNIway wants to hear stories about OMNI’s nursing staff.

The week, which is promoted by the Canadian Nurses Association, is set aside to acknowledge nurses for their work. Long-term care homes throughout the sector dedicate the week every year to acknowledge their nursing teams.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.







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