Everyone has seen those laminated papers with clip art of hands under running water, and a Times New Roman statement, highlighted in bold. "Wash your hands before returning to work!" the sign says, serving as a reminder that employees must always keep their hands clean. This is especially true in hospitals, where patients are more vulnerable to infection. According to Hospital Hygiene, even in developed countries 5-10 percent of all hospital patients experience a Hospital Acquired Infection. These horrible illnesses can cause fatalities, or create a slower recovery process for a patient.

In developing countries, up to 25 percent of all hospital patients will succumb to an illness resulting from a lack of hygiene. Most infections in health care settings are the cause of bacteria, which enters the system and starts the illness. Sometimes bacteria on the doctor's coat, the nurse's uniform, or the privacy drapes in the rooms can infiltrate the patient's system. Also, metal surfaces like stethoscopes or bed rails may carry germs that can make a person sick. Infections from a hospital germ lead to millions of sicknesses annually. People who suffer an HAI often develop an increased resistance to microorganisms and have a prolonged hospital stay. A longer hospital stay results in a larger financial burden among patients.

Nurses and doctors are handling a variety of ill patients every day so it is imperative that they wash their hands regularly. According to hospital protocol, nurses and doctors must wash their hands before and after dealing with a patient. If they fail to do this, they may transfer one contagious sickness to another person. Sadly, the Centers for Disease Control says that only about 40 percent of hospital personnel comply with this command. Employees should wash their hands with soap and water whenever they are visibly soiled. They should always cleanse them after using the bathroom, touching a patient, and before and after handling medical devices.

Whenever moving from one contaminated site to another, nurses should stop and cleanse their hands. Also, whenever medical personnel touch a contaminated surface, take off or are amount to put on new gloves, or handle a patient's food or medications, their hands should be rewashed. In order to help prevent more infection, medical personnel need to be careful about their garb. White coats are not the best attire in clinical or surgical areas; scrubs should be used instead. As well, the Hospital Hygiene Informational Sheet says that employees need to wear aprons or gowns when doing more messy activities. Hospital uniforms should be laundered every three days or so, to rid them of germs and contaminants.

Nurses and doctors should always wear gloves when dealing with contaminants, and carefully remove them before moving on to another patient. It is also wise to use antibacterial liquid to cleanse your hands before moving on to another task. Another way to prevent HAIs is by using metals that kill pathogens, such as copper, brass, and bronze. Medical personnel should be cautious to sterilize all tools, devices, and surfaces whenever possible. They need to change the sheets on patient's beds regularly, and make sure that all food is prepared in a sterilized, infection-free environment.

Using these basic principles, nurses and doctors can rid their hospitals of Hospital Acquired Infections and make their institution a place of recovery, not more sickness. If you have been victim to an HAI and believe that the medical staff working with you did not meet the standard of hygiene, then you may have a medical malpractice case. If you were required to stay in the hospital for a longer amount of time because of someone else's lack of cleanliness, you should contact a medical malpractice attorney and discuss your situation.