Which action should you perform before providing care?

Which action should you perform before providing care?

• A. Shake hands with resident.
• B. Wash hands.
• C. Close door and leave.
• D. Assume PPE is unnecessary.

Answer: (B)

Hand hygiene before any care is essential to stop the spread of germs. Washing your hands removes bacteria and other microorganisms you might pick up from surfaces or the resident, reducing the risk of infecting the resident and protecting yourself. In healthcare, standard precautions require you to clean hands before touching the resident or their environment. If hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds; if they aren’t visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand rub is a quick and effective option. Shaking hands with the resident isn’t appropriate during care because it can transfer germs. Closing the door and leaving stops the care you’re about to provide and isn’t a mitigation for infection control. Assuming PPE isn’t necessary goes against safety guidelines that call for using PPE when indicated. So washing hands before providing care is the correct action.

Hand hygiene before any care is essential to stop the spread of germs. Washing your hands removes bacteria and other microorganisms you might pick up from surfaces or the resident, reducing the risk of infecting the resident and protecting yourself. In healthcare, standard precautions require you to clean hands before touching the resident or their environment. If hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds; if they aren’t visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand rub is a quick and effective option. Shaking hands with the resident isn’t appropriate during care because it can transfer germs. Closing the door and leaving stops the care you’re about to provide and isn’t a mitigation for infection control. Assuming PPE isn’t necessary goes against safety guidelines that call for using PPE when indicated. So washing hands before providing care is the correct action.