Congratulations to VCU infection prevention nurse Amie Patrick on this recently published manuscript in the American Journal of Infection Control, one in which over 1000 VCU nurses were surveyed on environmental hygiene for patient transport and soiled linen disposal.
The high response rate by front line nurses is no small feat.
Knowledge of environmental hygiene during patient transport and removal of patient linens was erratic and glove overuse was coupled with missed hand hygiene opportunities. This potentially increases the risk of HAI cross transmission via environmental contamination.
From this project was born a proposed protocol flow sheet for carrying soiled linens out of patient rooms. The flow sheet is include in the manuscript.
We can do better and this is a start.
