Handwashing

Your handwashing skill is evaluated at the beginning of the clinical examination. You are not prompted to wash your hands with each procedure that follows because the evaluator expects you to know to wash your hands before and after physical contact with the resident. Handwashing is considered part of indirect care, that is, standard precautions.

1. Wet hands with warm water and apply soap.
2. Work up lather cleansing front and back of hands, wrists, between fingers, around cuticles, and under nails.
3. Apply friction for a minimum of 15 seconds (as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday”).
4. Keeping fingers lower than wrist, remove all soap.
5. Dry hands with paper towel and limit contact of towel to cleansed hands; turn off water with paper towel and dispose of it.
6. Complete skill without contaminating hands.

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