Universal Precautions (UP) Guide In Service Credit hour.1

Hello, as owner and founder of A Mother’s Choice HHCA, I want to take the time to say thank you for your hard work and dedication that you give each day. The nature of our industry is one of constant mobility. However, the responsibility to stay compliant is essential to meeting job requirements. As part of working in the Health Care Industry, you are required to earn in-service hours. The number of hours vary depending on position and title. Online training make it possible to stay up-to-date and compliant, with federal, state, and local policies. A Mother’s Choice believes in 21 st Century learning, and is working to build a repertoire of online trainings and modules that will support professional development. Please note, some trainings will have quizzes attached to them. Be sure to print off any quiz that coincides with a training to ensure your credit hours are received and recorded. You will have to submit this to the office staff. It is also good practice to keep a copy for your own records where permitted. If you have any questions regarding any of the material in this module. You can contact our home office at the address listed below. Owner and CEO Yolanda Ervin

UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS CONTENT OVERVIEW Proper Hand Washing House Keeping And Infection Control Bloodborne Pathogens Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Proper Hand Washing The following are the key new CDC hand hygiene changes that are listed as “strongly recommended” and “required for implementation” as recommended by federal and/or state regulation : 1. Wash hands with non-antimicrobial soap and water when not contaminated. Note that antimicrobial soap is not the same as antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soaps are not recommended for routine hand washing procedures. Antibacterial soaps kill off the resident bacteria that are on your skin to protect you from pathogens. Antimicrobials only reduce the number of organisms present and remove transient flora, not your normal flora. 2. If hands are not visibly soiled, use an alcohol-based waterless antiseptic agent for routine decontamination. 3. To improve hand hygiene in high workload areas with a high intensity of patient care, make an alcohol-based waterless antiseptic available at the entrance to the patient room or at the bedside. 4. Provide hand hygiene products that have a low irritancy potential or provide hand lotions or creams to minimize irritant contact dermatitis. 5. Do not wear artificial fingernails or extenders when providing patient care. 6. Keep nails natural and at one-quarter inch long.

Hand Washing Procedure

House Keeping and Infection Wear latex gloves when there is a chance of being in contact with blood, semen, vaginal secretions, mucous membranes, or other body fluids (for example, during catheter care, when disposing of sanitary napkins, handling dirty laundry, cleaning a bathroom, or assisting with menstrual care, bowel care, and toileting). Wearing gloves is especially important when you have a wound or rash or opening in the skin on your hands. Wash your hands carefully with soap and water before putting on the gloves and immediately after taking off the gloves. Immediately wash carefully any time you get blood or other body fluids on yourself. Wash your hands before and after you go to the bathroom, prepare food, perform personal care and housecleaning tasks, and after physical contact with others. Use a nailbrush to scrub your hands. Paper towels are safest for drying; do not use damp towels to dry your hands. Protect yourself and others by not preparing or handling food when you are ill or have open sores Use a mild bleach solution (ten parts water to one part bleach) to clean up blood or other body fluids. Clean up spills immediately. Also use the bleach solution to soak or disinfect possibly contaminated surfaces, linens, clothing, or other objects. Be careful using bleach since it can remove color. Avoid handling sharp objects (such as razors or needles) that might have come in contact with blood or body fluids. Carefully place them in a puncture-resistant container for disposal. Wash most soiled laundry in a washer set on hot and dry them in a dryer set on high. If they will be damaged at the highest heat, wash them according to manufacturer's instructions. Do not eat, drink, apply cosmetics, or handle contact lenses in areas where exposure to blood or other body fluids is possible. Wash dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water, Rinse in very hot water and let them air dry. Notify those around you if you are ill or have a condition that might be contagious.

Pathogens What are Bloodborne Pathogens? Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries may expose workers to bloodborne pathogens. Workers in many occupations, including first aid team members, housekeeping personnel in some industries, nurses and other healthcare personnel may be at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Who is at Risk? Workers in health care and public safety jobs could be potentially exposed to these disease pathogens. These workers include, but are not limited to, doctors, dentists, nurses, paramedics, police, laboratory workers and housekeeping workers in the health care industry. Needlestick injuries are the most common method of exposure for health care workers. Non-health care workers may become exposed at work while providing help to an injured co-worker and coming in contact with the injured person’s blood or body fluids.

Bloodborne Pathogens How can you become exposed? Exposure to bloodborne pathogens may occur in many ways. Any kind of opening or break in the skin provides a place for infected blood or fluids to enter your body. Scrapes, cuts, rashes, burns and other minor injuries that create an opening in the skin are entryways for bloodborne pathogens. Your eyes, nose and mouth are mucous membranes, and are also openings for diseases to enter. Universal Precautions Universal precautions are methods of protecting yourself from bloodborne pathogens. Universal precautions assume all body fluids are infected with bloodborne pathogens. Universal precautions include:  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – to be used at all times to prevent skin or mucous membrane contact with bodily fluids. Always inspect PPE for cracks, holes or other damage. Never use damaged PPE. PPE examples include lab coats, gloves, eye goggles, face shields, etc.  Wash hands or other skin surfaces thoroughly and immediately if contaminated.  When using sharp items (scalpels, needles, pipettes, etc.) that may be potentially contaminated, a puncture resistant container must be used for storage and disposal after use

Personal Protective Equipment Definition “specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials” (OSHA) Types of PPE Used in Healthcare Settings Gloves – protect hands Gowns/aprons – protect skin and/or clothing Masks and respirators– protect mouth/nose – Respirators – protect respiratory tract from airborne infectious agents Goggles – protect eyes Face shields – protect face, mouth, nose, and eyes There are four key points to remember about PPE use. First, do it before you have any contact with the patient, generally before entering the room. Once you have PPE on, use it carefully to prevent spreading contamination. When you have completed your tasks, remove the PPE carefully and discard it in the receptacles provided. Then immediately perform hand hygiene before going on to the next patient.

Important Facts on Glove Safety Most patient care activities require the use of a single pair of nonsterile gloves made of either latex, nitrile, or vinyl. Vinyl gloves are also frequently available and work well if there is limited patient contact. However, some gloves do not provide a snug fit on the hand, especially around the wrist, and therefore should not be used if extensive contact is likely. Gloves should fit the user’s hands comfortably – they should not be too loose or too tight. They also should not tear or damage easily. Gloves are sometimes worn for several hours and need to stand up to the task. Gloves should fit the user’s hands comfortably – they should not be too loose or too tight. They also should not tear or damage easily. Gloves are sometimes worn for several hours and need to stand up to the task.

Do’s and Don’ts of Glove Use Work from “clean to dirty” Limit opportunities for “touch contamination” - protect yourself, others, and the environment – Don’t touch your face or adjust PPE with contaminated gloves – Don’t touch environnemental surfaces except as necessary during patient care