Damien House disability services supporting HSE’s national "RESIST" hand hygiene campaign

The HSE’s national "RESIST" campaign was launched recently in Ré Nua in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, which is part of the HSE Dublin and South East’s Damien House Services.

The HSE Dublin and South East Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nursing Team and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Team organised and promoted the RESIST day, with the aim of supporting and educating colleagues on hand hygiene and to promote Anti-Microbial Stewardship and Infection Prevention and Control (AMRIC) measures.

RESIST is a brand for several hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives under the HSE Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Programme (AMRIC). One of these initiatives is the rollout of the RESIST hand hygiene awareness programme. The programme promotes a combination of hand hygiene training with standardised national training materials.

Hand hygiene has been at the forefront of all of the initiatives that the HSE has been implementing to reduce the spread of infection. The RESIST campaign is to refresh the HSE’s hand hygiene messages and to keep promoting the importance of clean hands.

The HSE’s Damien House Services provides full-time, long term care to male and female residents over 18 years of age, whose primary diagnosis is an intellectual disability. The services comprise of two houses (Damien House and Sonas) on campus at Glenconnor Rd. in Clonmel, in addition to a community based residence elsewhere in the town. The service also features Ré Nua, a residential unit for those with intellectual disability at the HSE’s Cashel Health Campus. Damien House Services also includes community residential facilities for adults with a disability in Fethard, Co. Tipperary and Callan, Co. Kilkenny.

On the day at Ré Nua in Cashel, Consultant Microbiologist Dr Rosemary Curran delivered informative talks to staff on the safe use of antibiotics and answered any questions on the topic. An AI hand hygiene scanner, which is an interactive tool to promote and demonstrate correct hand hygiene technique was utilised by Bríd Challoner and Michelle Hennebry, Infection Prevention and Control Clinical Nurse Specialists for South Tipperary. This provides valuable hands-on experience, reinforcing best practice and ensuring all attendees were refreshed on effective hand hygiene technique.

Speaking about the RESIST launch, AnnMarie Bates (Director of Nursing/Damien House Services) said: “Cleaning your hands properly, at the correct time, when delivering care to our clients, as well as assisting them to carry out their own, is the most effective way to stop the spread of many infections. When healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and carers keep their hands clean, they help prevent the spread of serious healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). These are infections that can happen in any healthcare service.”

Rebecca Quinn (Clinical Nurse Manager 2, Ré Nua, Damien House Services) added:

“Damien House services have an excellent record in hand hygiene but we are always looking to improve our standards. The RESIST programme will help us to refresh and energise our hand hygiene approach among staff and clients and we are delighted to be part of the rollout in Disability Services.”

Michelle Hennebry (Clinical Nurse Specialist/Infection Prevention and Control, HSE Dublin and South East) said:

“As a programme, RESIST is not just aimed at those delivering care, but at everyone who comes into a healthcare facility, including clients and visitors. We are delighted that healthcare facilities in Co. Tipperary have taken part in promoting such an important programme”.

Bríd Challoner (Clinical Nurse Specialist/Infection Prevention and Control, HSE Dublin and South East) added: “Some infections found in healthcare facilities can be very serious. We can all help stop the spread of these infections by making sure that staff, clients and visitors clean their hands. We want staff to continue their hand hygiene training and to join the Superbug Resistance.”