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Tip of the week: Educate staff and patients on respiratory etiquette

Infection Control Monitor, July 25, 2008

With fall around the corner, it’s time to start gearing up for respiratory virus season. That means giving staff members a refresher on respiratory etiquette.

In addition to teaching staff members proper cough etiquette and hand hygiene, you must train them to help patients follow these guidelines. Present training from two angles: protect the patient and protect yourself. Staff members need to know that these measures are designed to keep them from getting sick or transmitting these infections to their own families. “Yes, this is designed to protect patients, but it also protects the employees from each other,” says Peggy Luebbert, MS, MT (ASCP), CIC, CHSP, owner and consultant at Healthcare Interventions, Inc., in Omaha, NE, and the ICP at Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital in Omaha.

For more tips on improving your training efforts, go to www.hcpro.com/content/214535.cfm. The cost is $10. Briefings on Infection Control subscribers receive this story free with their subscriptions.

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