Why Hand Washing Signs Work
Hand washing signs work because they keep everyone aware of their specific responsibility to have good hygiene. It is important for doctors, nurses, and care givers to be reminded that they have a responsibility to the patients of their hospital. This responsibility to keep patients safe and healthy includes washing their hands so that diseases are not spread and hospital infection rates are down. These signs should always be posted where patients, visitors, and caregivers can see them easily. They should be clear and easy to read. These signs should be outside of every bathroom and in every hallway of a health care facility. They should serve as a constant reminder to everyone that good hygiene and clean hands generally leads to happier and healthier patients. Up to 60 percent of care givers do not wash their hands in hospitals. Many people find this number shocking until you think back to your last stay in the hospital. There’s always a hand sanitizer unit in your room, but you never see your provider using it. It’s hard to pin point exactly why this is. Hand washing does take time if done properly, and many people don’t like to take the time to do it. Sanitizers and alcohol gels have made hand washing faster and easier. Even with this more efficient option, many providers still refuse to disinfect their hands before and after they encounter a patient. Some hospitals have implemented incentive programs to nudge care givers in the right direction. Some have created more graphic hand washing signs to remind doctors of what exactly is at risk by their refusal to sanitize.

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Hand washing signs come in many different varieties. There are various color options, shapes, and sizes. You can order a hand washing sign in a color that matches your specific hospital or health care facility. Another option is to buy them in red or blue so that they stand out to everyone in the building. There are also a variety of styles to choose from when picking this sign. You can go with a simple sign that plainly reads, ‘please wash hands’. These signs go well in highly populated areas of the hospital and are easily and quickly interpreted. There are more detailed signs that instruct employees to wash their hands before returning to work and include a picture of hands in a faucet with suds. There are also signs that resemble hazard signs that instruct everyone to wash their hands before and after patient care. Finally, there are long rectangular signs that are more detailed and describe the universal safety precautions, including washing your hands. This sign has pictures to accompany each safety step. No matter which sign you choose, they all serve the same general purpose. Hand washing signs may not be able to fix the problem with spreading infections in hospitals, but they can help take a step in the right direction. When these signs are placed in the right places, and are posted frequently they can help with these problems.

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