The nurse is performing hand hygiene before assisting a physician with insertion of a chest tube. While washing hands, the nurse touches the sink. What is the next action the nurse should take?
a. Inform the physician and recruit another nurse to assist.
b. Rinse and dry hands, and begin assisting the physician.
c. Repeat handwashing using antiseptic soap,
d. Extend the handwashing procedure to 5 minutes.
C
The inside of the sink and the counter at the edges of the sink, faucet, and handles are considered contaminated areas. If the hands touch any of these areas during handwashing, repeat the handwashing procedure utilizing antiseptic soap. There is no need to inform the physician or be relieved of this assignment. If the hands are contaminated when touching the sink, drying hands and proceeding with the procedure could possibly contaminate and contribute to increased microbial counts during the procedure, resulting in infection for the patient. Extending the time for washing the hands (although this is what will happen when the procedure is repeated) is not the focus. The focus is to repeat the whole hand hygiene procedure utilizing antiseptic soap.
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1. "Tell me about the concerns that brought you to the clinic today." 2. "Does any member of your family have a history of asthma, heart disease, or diabetes?" 3. "Hello, I would like to talk with you and get some information about you and your child." 4. "You will need to fill out these forms; make sure that the information is as complete as possible."