[Grace]

Reflection question: Effective cleaning and disinfection practices reduce the risk of transmission of infections to health care workers and patients. What can you do at your workplace to support effective cleaning and disinfection?

[Brianne]

– Helping to clean up spills that happen
-Ensuring that the proper cleaning supplies are being used so for nursing staff the wipes that we are using to clean our work phones
-Ensuring that staff have access to supplies if they become low or run out
-Ensuring that the proper time has passed for the cleaning product before using the area that was cleaned or the equipment

[Robin]

Using the proper equipment and sanatizers are key. I see many people using hand sanatizer to clean surfaces. I guess something is better than nothing in some cases, however, we have the propper wipes everywhere and they are easily accessible in any circunstance where I work.

[Rahmatu]

Great contribution Brianne! I like how you mentioned you clean up spills at your workplace. I agree with you that cleaning up spills is everyone’s responsibility in the work environment irrespective of your role. However I have seen situations where people walk past a spill or at most place a wet floor caution sign above or around it without taking any other action to clean up the spill or ensure the safety of patients and coworkers.
To ensure the safety of my coworkers and patients I always ensure that I take all necessary steps to clean up spills as much as possible, including calling environmental services for large spills, and/or calling a code depending on the type of spill.

[Sara]

To keep your surroundings clean and safe, it is important to clean regularly using a detergent and water or a disinfectant/detergent that the EPA registers for hospital use. Be sure to clean surfaces when they are visibly soiled. After using mops and cloths, clean them and let them dry before using them again. Alternatively, you can use disposable mop heads or cloths to minimize the risk of contamination.

[Robin]

Robin

-I keep my work station clean. I use the disinfectant wipes provided to clean the WOW, keyboard and desktop.
-When there is contamination from body fluids I clean up as much as I can the call the environmental service team for sanition to be done.
– Clean equipment such as mechanical lifts between patient use.
– Tidy and clean surfaces before performin wound care and med passes.
– Tidy the break room! I sanatize before and after I sit at the table. I don’t like to eat in other people’s mess and I don’t want them to have to clean up after me.

[Rahmatu]

Cleaning and disinfection are an important component of infection control. At my work place, I ensure that multi-patient equipment are cleaned and disinfected after each patient use. I also ensure that disinfectant wipes are regularly stocked and I am usually calling IPAC to ensure that they stock my unit supplies regularly.
Housekeepers also contribute tremendously in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases in the healthcare environment, I collaborate regularly with them to ensure that the patient and staff environment is clean, disinfected, free of spills, and tidy.
I also ensure that when I use disinfectant wipes for disinfecting work surfaces and patient equipment, I wait for the response time of the disinfectant prior to using the equipment or workspace again.

[Sarah]

Have nurses clean dirty surfaces and disinfect the contaminated areas, have environmental services keep areas clean and make sure staff are disinfecting their hands before and after leaving rooms. Have virox wipes to clean up bodily fluids and remove broken furniture.

[Sarah]

To be effective with cleaning and disinfecting practices, we need to ensure we clean high touch suffices and remove cracked and broken furniture to prevent infection transmission. Having maintenance and environmental services clean surfaces and disinfecting high touch spaces. Deep cleaning rooms patients stayed in before admitting new patients to hospitals.

[Author]

Posts