Title: Hand Hygiene: The Key to Infection Prevention

Grade Level: Nursing Students (Undergraduate)

Objective: 1. Understand the importance of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of infections. 2. Demonstrate proper hand hygiene techniques. 3. Identify situations that require hand hygiene. 4. Develop a habit of practicing hand hygiene consistently.

Materials: 1. PowerPoint presentation 2. Hand hygiene posters 3. Hand sanitizer 4. Soap and water 5. Disposable gloves 6. Hand hygiene assessment checklist

Duration: 60 minutes

Procedure:

Introduction (5 minutes): 1. Greet the students and introduce the topic of hand hygiene. 2. Explain the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings. 3. Share statistics on the impact of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the role of hand hygiene in preventing them.

Presentation (15 minutes): 1. Use a PowerPoint presentation to provide an overview of hand hygiene. 2. Discuss the different types of microorganisms and infections that can be transmitted through improper hand hygiene. 3. Explain the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “Five Moments for Hand Hygiene” approach. 4. Highlight the proper hand hygiene techniques, including handwashing with soap and water and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. 5. Emphasize the importance of thorough hand drying.

Demonstration (15 minutes): 1. Demonstrate the correct handwashing technique using soap and water. 2. Explain the steps involved, including wetting hands, applying soap, rubbing hands together for at least 20 seconds, rinsing thoroughly, and drying hands with a disposable towel. 3. Demonstrate the proper use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, including applying an adequate amount, rubbing hands together until dry, and not rinsing or wiping off the sanitizer.

Practice (15 minutes): 1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups. 2. Provide each group with a hand hygiene assessment checklist. 3. Assign different scenarios to each group, such as before and after patient contact, before and after using gloves, before eating, etc. 4. Instruct the groups to assess the hand hygiene practices in each scenario and mark whether it was performed correctly or incorrectly. 5. Allow time for discussion and clarification of any misconceptions.

Discussion and Reflection (10 minutes): 1. Facilitate a class discussion on the importance of hand hygiene in preventing infections. 2. Ask students to share their experiences or observations related to hand hygiene in healthcare settings. 3. Discuss the challenges and barriers to practicing proper hand hygiene consistently. 4. Encourage students to reflect on how they can overcome these challenges and develop a habit of practicing hand hygiene consistently.

Conclusion (5 minutes): 1. Summarize the key points discussed during the lesson. 2. Reinforce the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings. 3. Provide additional resources for further learning, such as websites, articles, or videos on hand hygiene.

Assessment: 1. Evaluate students’ understanding of hand hygiene through their participation in the discussion and completion of the hand hygiene assessment checklist. 2. Observe students’ hand hygiene techniques during the demonstration and practice sessions. 3. Provide feedback and address any misconceptions or areas for improvement.