In conjunction with World Hand Hygiene Day, the HSE/South East Community Healthcare’s Caomhnú residential care centre in Kilkenny has joined in implementation of the national “RESIST” hand hygiene campaign.
RESIST is a brand for a number of hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives under the HSE Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control programme (AMRIC).
One of these initiatives is a rollout of the RESIST hand hygiene awareness programme. The programme promotes a combination of hand hygiene training with standardised national training materials. Hand hygiene has been at the forefront of all of the initiatives that the HSE has been implementing to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The RESIST campaign is to refresh hand hygiene messages and to keep promoting the importance of clean hands.
Caomhnu is a purpose-built unit, continuing care unit for up to 15 residents with intellectual disability and is located on the grounds of Kilcreene Hospital in Kilkenny. In addition to an art room, an aromatherapy/multisensory room and a recreation room, there are three houses (Saoirse, Sonas, and Aisling) which provide accommodation for the residents.
Speaking at the launch of RESIST in Caomhnú, its Clinical Nurse Manager 2 (CNM 2) Carol Doyle said:
“Cleaning your hands properly, at the correct time, when delivering care to patients and residents is the most effective way to stop the spread of many infections. When healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and carers keep their hands clean, they help prevent the spread of serious healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). These are infections that can happen in any healthcare service.”
“Caomhnú has an excellent record in hand hygiene but we are always looking to improve our standards. The RESIST programme will help us to do that and we are delighted to have been selected to be part of the rollout in HSE residential older person’s facilities.”
Staff, residents/patients, patients and visitors all have a role to play, to help stop the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections and join the superbug resistance. This programme will help us to refresh and energise our hand hygiene approach and our Link Practitioner and Infection Control Nurses will be supporting us to do that”.
Also speaking at the launch, Maree Hosey and Brid Challoner Infection Control Nurse Specialists Carlow Kilkenny added that as a programme, RESIST is not just aimed at those delivering care but at everyone who comes into a hospital or residential care facility, including residents, patients and visitors. As HSE/South East Community Healthcare intensifies its campaign across the region and in thanking Carol Doyle (CNM2, Caomhnú) who highlighted the event to all areas within and around the facility, staff at Caomhnú are delighted to be involved in its promotion.
Last updated on: 01 / 05 / 2024
