Hand Health
It is important that you keep your hands healthy and moisturized to prevent any irritation, or broken skin that can occur from constant hand hygiene procedures. If skin becomes cracked, bacteria can get in, putting you and others at risk. A light hand lotion isn’t able to do much to protect and repair your skin. You need a cream or ointment that can stand up to frequent hand washings.

Hand Hygiene
• Germs can live under artificial fingernails both before and after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and handwashing
• It is recommended that healthcare providers do not wear artificial fingernails or extensions when having direct contact with patients at high risk
• Keep natural nail tips less than ¼ inch long
• Rings and watches harbor lots of bacteria, remember to take off jewelry prior to performing hand hygiene

Gloves
Gloves should be worn when it can be reasonably anticipated that contact with blood or potentially infectious materials, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, potentially contaminated skin or contaminated equipment could occur.

Gloves are not a substitute for proper hand hygiene
• If your task requires gloves, perform hand hygiene prior to donning gloves
• Perform hand hygiene immediately after removing gloves

Change gloves and perform hand hygiene during patient care
• If gloves become damaged
• If gloves become visibly dirty
• If moving from work on a soiled body site to a clean body site on the same patient
• Remember to never wear the same pair of gloves in between patients