2007 International Infection Prevention Week Success Stories

Have you done something innovative and fun to encourage hand hygiene at your facility?  Tell us about it and it could be featured on the 2007 International Infection Prevention Week website. Email your success story to APIC at communications@apic.org.

^NEW! IIPW Commemorations in India
Pondicherry, India—Members and leaders of the Tamizhosai Radio Youth and Science Forum organized an event to observe International Infection Prevention Week and World Anesthesia Day at Mother Theresa Institute of Health Sciences (MTIHS)* on October 16, 2007. A large number of students from MTIHS attended. Forum President Dr. E.M. Rajan welcomed the guests to the gathering, and MTIHS Academic Registrar and College of Pharmacy Professor cum HOD, Dr. V. Gopal presided.

As part of the program, the Forum conducted a quiz contest in which 12 students of MTIHS participated in 4 competing teams. The Forum Vice-President Dr. K. Jegadheeswaran was Quiz Master. Contestants answered questions about infectious diseases, anesthesia, and other health related topics. Winners received prize books from the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization.

After the quiz contest, Dr. Ashok Shankar Bandhe, Department of Anesthesiology Professor and HOD at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education Research*, spoke on “The Role of Anesthesiology in Society.” Dr.  Reba Kanungo, Department of Microbiology Professor and HOD at Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Medical College*, spoke on “Infection Prevention—It’s in Your Hands.” All participants received copies of hand hygiene informational pamphlets provided by APIC.

*A Government of Pondicherry Institution 

Colleen LaVine RN
Infection Prevention / Employee Health Coordinator Northfield Hospital Northfield, MN.
lavinec@northfieldhospital.org

During Infection Control Week we had a Create the Bug contest. Departments were given an ice cream bucket filled with yarn and arts and craft items, with an assigned bug attached. (i.e. e coli, salmonella etc.)  It was fascinating to see the different types of bugs that originated from the craft products. Departments got together and had gatherings outside of the work day to create their bugs. Competition was stiff. Staff members told me that they never learned so much about a particular organism as they did while working on their assigned bug. Winners were chosen based on educational component and creativity. All bugs were on display during the week along with other educational poster boards. We gave flu shots at the same time. (65 % compliance) A pizza party was given to the department that won first place. It was a lot of fun as well as educational.

2006 International Infection Prevention Week Success Stories

Judith Ann Heiting, ADN, RN
Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals
Lexington, SC

We are planning on using the "Protect Our Patients" (POP) theme that APIC and Clorox has started. We are ordering the toolkit, flyers, posters, etc. We are also going to send a message to all staff in the hospital asking them to participate in a department bulletin board decorating contest with the POP theme, i.e., what their department does to protect their patients. The bulletin boards will be judged by MDs.

We will be setting up a table in the cafeteria several days that week with the POP materials, hand hygiene questions, a poster with our hand hygine experiement on it, give out candy and small prizes, etc.

Back to top

From: Marie A Stelmach RN,CIC
Infection Control Professional
Carolinas Medical Center

As a “quick” unit inservice and at EVERY RN-LPN orientation, we do the following fun exercise:
First, get some fingerpaint bottles (squirt bottles) at the dollar store and have participants put on a pair of gloves. Next, place a “dollop” of fingerpaint about the size of an alcohol-based gel, foam or liquid hand sanitizer in the palm of their hand. Have them close their eyes and tell them to begin to wash their hands the way they always do, pretending the fingerpaint is hand rub and NO peeking.
Count 10-15 seconds, shout STOP washing! Have them open their eyes and spread their fingers.
Now go around the room and have them examine each others hand hygiene technique. It is surprising to most people how poorly they decontaminate areas on the top of hands, between fingers and around thumbs.
The best part is to have them remove gloves properly…if they do, there will be no fingerpaint on their hands after removal. Lastly, if anyone has fingerpaint on their hands demonstrating industry “pinholing” in the gloves, it’s a good educational opportunity as well by showing how gloves alone do not protect you from microorganisms, but glove wearing and hand hygiene is a 100% winner!

From:Patricia Heath
Infection Prevention Nurse
St. Luke's Magic Valley RMC

I used a reverse "tattletale" campaign and it increased MD compliance from 3%, yes, 3% to 70%. I advertised for employees to "tattle" on MDs when they were observed performing proper hand hygiene. Once reported, I would approach the MD sternly & tell them they were tattled on - then present them with a candy bar. I then thanked them for the compliance. I kept track of the total tattles for a couple of months and presented the winner with a certificate. It was amazing the competition this inspired. I had MDs reminding staff to tattle on them and even one MD that complained that his brother (another MD) had been tattled on more than he & he was the better hand hygiene practitioner. It was fun for all involved.

From: Kim Newman, RN, BSN, CIC
Infection Control
Children's Medical Center of Dallas

One our IC Liaisons came up with the idea on her unit to have all the staff trace an outline of their hand, sign it and place it on a bulletin board to show their commitment to hand hygiene.  The staff thought this was a great idea.
 

From: Shari Botts, RN, CIC
Infection Control Practitioner
The Fort Hamilton Hospital

We had a "Whose Clean Hands are These?" contest!  We took photos of the "clean hands" of staff in different areas of the hospital (our CEO, nurses on medical/surgical units and surgery, central supply, food and nutrition services, etc) with "clues" in the photo e.g. our physical therapist holding a gait belt.  We listed the names below and then staff had to match the names with the photos on an entry form.  On the poster we included some Hand Hygiene facts and photos of "germs."  Correct entries were then entered into a drawing for prizes.  It was fun for all; from the person taking the photos, to the people in the pictures, to all of those who did the guessing, and especially for the prize winners!!

From: Lorri Goergen RN, BSN, CIC
Infection control Manager
United Memorial Medical Center

Last year for Infection Prevention week, I worked with my Infection Control Liaisons to produce an eleven minute video called "Nightmare on North Street".  We brainstormed and developed several scenarios about what not to do in Infection Control.  The Liaisons were the actors and my son who has a video business was the photographer and editor.  The original plan was to have the staff watch the video and list the infection control breaches that they could identify.  The one who identified the most was to be the winner.
As it turned out, the Liaisons could all go into the theater if they would like a second career.  They were naturals and the number of breaches is basically uncountable.  We decided to put all the entries in a box and selected ten winners for prizes.

From: DeAnn E. Richards, RN, CIC
Infection Control Practitioner
Meriter Hospital, Inc.

As part of annual fall reminder of respiratory etiquette, we used several reminders as it relates to hand hygiene. 

After taking digital photos of staff, I created two poster: "Cough on the hand, waterless is the plan.  Stop the spread of germs to your co-workers, patients, and family." with a photo of an employee coughing on their hand and clip art of bugs landing on a hand.  The other poster had a small picture of coughing on the hand and then other photos of hands on keyboard, pen, elevator buttons, door knob, and IV pole.  The verbiage was "Cough on your hand, Touch, Infect."   

We also gave out laminated buttons to individuals who preformed hand hygiene correctly.  They simply stated "Hand Hygiene, Another Infection Prevented".  On the back of the button, it asked the recipient to give the button to the next person they also witness performing hand hygiene.
This increased the hand hygiene compliance with the MD, house staff, and residents. 

Even More Infection Prevention Week Successes:
2005 International Infection Prevention Week Success Stories

From: Diann Grissom RRT/RCP
Director of Quality Management
Director of Infection Control/Employee Health
Graham Regional Medical Center

I would like to share something that was both rewarding and educational at the same time. During the flu season, I went to all the schools in our area and taught the children coughing/respiratory etiquette and infection control. They were taught how to properly cough and how to wash their hands the correct way. I taught pre-k to 5th graders. It is so important to teach children, as they are fast learners and they do not have a lifetime of bad habits to try to correct. Children are also proven to be transmitters of infectious diseases, especially to the elderly, so teaching them proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette is especially important.

Each child was taught to cough into a Kleenex or into their sleeve. They did exercises and watched a videotape on infections. Then we shook hands or played ball and each child got to see their hands under the GloGerm light. Teachers, principals and parents got in the action, too.

I personally made each child a Certificate of Excellence/Completion that they were given to let them know that what they learned was important.

Some really positive things came out of this. The children instructed parents, siblings, and grandparents about the proper way to prevent the spread of infection

From: Tressea Webb, MT(ASCP), CIC
Infection Control Director
Bradley Memorial Hospital

Infection control staff stood at the staff entrances one day at each shift change time and gave each employee a "Little Brown Bag" that contained an apple, a schedule of flu vaccine times and locations, and a sticker to wear when they had been vaccinated. The front of the bag had a label advertising Infection Control Week. The staff loved it, and the added benefit was that we were able to use Infection Control Week to promote and encourage influenza vaccination among our healthcare workers.

From: Jessica Hilburn, MT(ASCP),CIC Manager of Infection Control
Texas Children’s Hospital

Last year, we asked the Nursing units to create videos for Infection Control Week. We received some very interesting and professional videos, including one where nursing staff changed song lyrics to incorporate an infection control theme and another that captured an infection control fashion show. One person dressed up as Red Bag Waste; another as a cluster of grapes to represent MRSA. We gave prizes to participants.

From: Sharon "Brie" Alexander, BSN, RN, MT(ASCP), CIC Infection Control Professional
Infection Prevention & Control Department
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

An idea that I have always wanted to try, and may finally get around to this year, is to sponsor a unit/support department-based activity that patient-care and support staff can use to apply to their jobs on an everyday basis. The idea is to have staff don full PPE in correct order (gown, mask, goggles, gloves), "contaminate" it with UV powder, and then have staff remove the PPE in correct order (gloves, goggles, gown, mask). The wearer is then checked with a black light to see if they managed to remove the gear without getting powder on them. All of this would be done in a peer group format, so staff can watch and learn from both the correct and incorrect behaviors demonstrated by their immediate co-workers. Everyone who actively participates would receive a "Learning Adventure - Good Sport" certificate.

From: Melanie M. Hall, RN, BS, CIC
Infection Control Practitioner
Fawcett Memorial Hospital

One idea we tried here was to have a hand hygiene contest:

Give each person in the facility who works in patient care and support a small card with 30 square openings on it, and tell people to carry it on their person at all times. Also, leave them in the doctor’s lounge with a poster explaining the rules of the contest.
When a co-worker sees anyone performing proper hand hygiene, they ask for the card and initial and date in one of the spots. When the co-worker’s card is full, or at the end of the contest, the cards are put into baskets on the units and the ICP retrieves them during rounds.

The dept with the most cards completed gets a pizza party or some similar type of recognition for all three shifts. The doctor gets recognition at the monthly award ceremony and a plaque.

One other thing we did was have a hand hygiene duel. During our monthly award ceremony, we chose two people from the crowd and sprinkled their hands with GloGerm powder. We then sent them to a sink with a third person who times them as they wash their hands. Both people with the GloGerm on their hands start washing at the same time and stop after 15 seconds.

They then come back to the room and we turn the lights down and put the UV light on them to see who did better at washing the GloGerm off. Each person gets a participation prize, but the winner also gets free lunch in the cafeteria. This is a fun activity for everyone involved, and it helps to teach proper hand hygiene.

From: Maureen Canning Infection Control Consultant
Infection Control & Epidemiology
Southern Health - Monash Medical Centre Victoria, Australia

For the last two years I have developed comic 'super hero' daily quizzes that are sent out via email to all users at MMC, given out in the cafeteria, at lectures we do during that week and on our foyer displays for people to look at and complete. Because they are a novel concept for the staff we have a reasonable return rate, but more importantly because we put them on all the tables in the cafeteria each morning, they become a focal talking point amongst a diverse group of staff members who may not necessarily fill them out. Over the week people enjoy looking out for the next one. We frequently get stopped in the corridors for the answers. We will be doing the same thing this year and we asked the coffee shop to donate a coffee and cake voucher as the prize for the daily winners. Each of our campuses use the daily quiz and adapt it to their local needs. I have attached a couple of the quizzes I used last year (please see below).

Each year we pick a theme to focus on during the week. Last year's theme was 'infection control and the use of additional precautions,' and we utilized two large display boards (one in the cafeteria and one in the main foyer of the hospital). Each day we changed the type of additional precautions and set up a display relevant to the precautions (e.g., airborne precautions with N95 particulate respirator masks used for caring for patients with TB, posters on how to correctly apply the masks, illustrations of how negative pressure isolation rooms work, information about the diseases that require such precautions and the relevant daily quiz.) We also have special 'stop' signs within our organization which are color-coded for specific precautions that are then placed outside patients’ rooms alerting to a specific contact precaution requirement, which were also displayed. We devoted one day to hand hygiene promoting the use of alcohol chlorhexidine handrubs and providing 'glow germ' demonstrations to interested staff members. Each afternoon of the week, all of the infection control consultants provided in-service education across all clinical areas. Last year, we gave sessions on multi- resistant organisms and why we isolate them and place them into the different additional precautions. At these sessions we handed out candy, post-it notes, lanyards, pens, and any other free promotional items we have sourced from sponsors. We also provide a free half-day workshop, which is open to all other hospitals in the state of Victoria and have invited guests presenting. We seek sponsorship for this, which helps to provide a free lunch. Sponsors are, in turn, able to provide a trade display.

This year our local hospital theme is 'preventing infections' as everybody's responsibility with a pictorial mural display of all the things that we can do to prevent infections (e.g., building and construction, air testing, risk management, surveillance, staff health and vaccination programs, occupational exposures such as needlestick injuries, etc.), additional precautions, and a major focus on hand hygiene. We are planning to target chickenpox, especially in our emergency department, promoting the need for prompt recognition and isolation as well as ensuring that staff know their immune status to assist in reducing the number of chickenpox exposures that we then have to undertake contact tracing. We have a large pediatric population as well as adults and neonates. We will also be having another half-day workshop in which chickenpox and contact tracing will be presented along with sessions on hand hygiene, VRE outbreak management, gastro outbreak management, and other topics yet to be decided. We will also be having a hospital-wide hand hygiene poster competition with a major prize that is targeted at clinical staff. They will be asked to design a poster relevant to their clinical area which promotes hand hygiene and allows for ownership of the message at the departmental level. We will again be seeking sponsorship from various companies to assist in reducing costs to our department for the week and this year are targeting those companies relevant to the theme (e.g., hand hygiene suppliers, glove companies, mask companies, vaccination suppliers, manufacturers of sharp containers, etc.)

We have found that these activities greatly enhance infection control’s broader profile across the organization so that we are not seen only as the bearers of bad news or as the 'bug police.'

From: Stella Perrine, MT(ASCP), CIC
Forum Health Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital

As part of our hand hygiene compliance survey, I ask various staff members from all departments and all shifts to do 10 hand hygiene observations in a one month period. I hand out 3x5 'spy' cards with "YES" and "NO" printed on them, and explain that they are to observe a staff member doing a task that requires hand hygiene. If the person does wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand gels, the staffer puts a mark under “yes,” if the person being observed fails to wash or use an alcohol-based hand gel, the staffer puts a mark under “no.” They do 10 observations and do not include the name of the person observed. The cards are returned to me at the end of the month. The name of the person doing the observation is written on the card, which is entered into a drawing for free candy.

From: Jo Micek, RN, CIC
Infection Control Manager
Liberty Hospital

We had several members of the medical staff model isolation attire for a video called, “From Couture to Culture (and Sensitivities).” This was a huge hit. We had employees dressed in the different isolation attire holding baskets that had basic infection control questions written on slips of paper. They modeled their attire and passed out the questions, and if the employee got the answer right their name went into a drawing for a prize. We also went up to each unit so people who couldn’t take a break would be included. We had some dedicated models that went around on night shift as well.

We also had a drawing where we put oblong-shaped candies, and red and blue round candies in a jar and had them count the gram negative rods and gram positive cocci with the most accurate guess winning the jar and contents.

We had a display of people from all areas of the hospital wearing masks and had a contest called, “Who’s that masked man?” It was fun to see who guessed correctly, and those people who guessed all correctly were entered into a drawing for a prize.

From: Christine Nutty, RN, MSN, CIC
Infection Control Practitioner
Western Baptist Hospital

Last year, I had done hand washing observations and reported the rates to our executive quality council (which has two members of senior management on it). We had a definite need for improvement. So, instead of Infection Control Week, they recommended we have October be "hand washing month.” I ordered a big plastic banner, which I hung in the doorway to the cafeteria. The slogan was "Clean Hands Save Lives. October is Western Baptist Hospital Hand Washing Month." Then, I ordered pens for each employee with the “Clean Hands Save Lives” slogan on them. I gave each employee a pen with a sticker that had the employee's name on it, and sent these to the HR director to give out. I received a lot of positive feedback from the employees and senior management. Staff felt it was really considerate of me to give them each a pen since they typically have to buy their own. I now monitor alcohol-based hand sanitizer usage and each month the usage continues to climb. We are all happy about that.

From: Nancy B. Childs, RN, BSN, CIC
Director of Infection Control & Employee Health
Holzer Medical Center

My Infection Control Department sponsored a poster contest on hand hygiene. We delivered a poster and box of colored highlighters to every department with the following instructions:

• Had to have a turn in date
• Had to have Hand Hygiene promotion theme, could use any media

First prize: pizza party for the department
Second prize: cookies for the department

We were uncertain if we'd have any participation and were surprised to have 24 departments return posters. The artwork was astounding in some of the posters, and the ingenuity was extraordinary!

We made a display in the Administration Conference Room prior to an Administrative Staff Meeting (with their prior approval) and had the Administrators judge the posters (both the artist and their department were blinded). Administration really enjoyed this.

The first place prize went to Nutrition Services and second place to the Laundry & Linen Department. Third prize was awarded to the Critical Care Department.

Each month, we place copies of the different posters in display cases in the staff elevators with the artist/department listed. Staff members enjoy seeing their work displayed, and we have enough posters to last us for two years’ worth of displays.

I feel this has helped make an impact on our staff's hand hygiene compliance. It has certainly increased awareness.

From: Karen Williams, BS, MT(ASCP), CIC
Manager Infection Control
Morristown Memorial Hospital

For the last 16 years we have sponsored an infection control fair. It is a themed event each year, and the theme is voted on by the departments participating. Themes we have used: seasonal/Halloween, Survivor (i.e. the reality show), travel, medieval time period, islands, etc. We have made it multidisciplinary (currently, there are 16 departments that participate), so that each area of the facility is involved. It is a great educational day and our hospital looks forward to it each year.