World Hand Hygiene Day at Department of Psychiatry, Kilkenny

The World Health Organisation’s annual ‘World Hand Hygiene Day’ was marked recently at the Dept. of Psychiatry acute mental health inpatient unit in Kilkenny.

The occasion was an opportunity for the HSE to highlight to all its staff, patients, visitors and family members as to the importance of hand hygiene in helping prevent the spread of infection.

Evidence points to good hand hygiene as the single most important, effective and least expensive means of reducing the prevalence of healthcare associated infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Highlighting ‘World Hand Hygiene Day’, the HSE Dublin and South East’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) nursing team and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) team hosted a promotional stand in the Dept. of Psychiatry (DoP) acute mental health inpatient unit, which is located on the grounds of St. Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny.

The stand included a focus on ‘Resist’, a brand for several hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives under the HSE’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (AMRIC) programme. The stand in the DoP featured an AI hand hygiene scanner, which is an interactive tool to promote and demonstrate correct hand hygiene technique.

Serving the Carlow-Kilkenny and South Tipperary catchment area, the 44 bed Dept. of Psychiatry facility is a designated, Mental Health Commission approved centre for acute mental health inpatient services. Teams of professionals (including medical, specialist and other support staff) are in place to serve the needs of all those who require treatment and support.

Speaking at Dept. of Psychiatry, Kilkenny on World Hand Hygiene Day, its Asst. Director of Nursing Marian O’ Sullivan 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.”

“The Dept. of Psychiatry in Kilkenny has an excellent record in hand hygiene but we are always looking to improve our standards. The ‘Resist’ programme, which we highlighted here on World Hand Hygiene Day, helps us to refresh and energise our hand hygiene approach among staff and clients. 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.”

HSE Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Specialist Julie Meally added:

“Our message on World Hand Hygiene Day is that 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, service users and visitors clean their hands.”

For Julie’s fellow Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Specialist Maree Hosey, it was one of her final engagements at a “Resist” promotional stand before retiring in June after a long number of dedicated years of service with the HSE.