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During the last quarter of 2008 the San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown, Texas, had more than 99% hand hygiene compliance because of several initiatives, including improving accessibility to hand hygiene dispensers. Dispensers were added to all patient rooms, hospital hallways, dietary trays, and nursing carts. The hospital also added linen hampers to all patient rooms to deter the spread of infection through soiled linen transport.

The hospital hosted an educational fair, conducted departmental inservices, and implemented various marketing materials — screensavers, posters, flyers, and e-mail blasts — to inform and educated staff and physicians on hand hygiene.

Once new initiatives were implemented, administration and the infection prevention department recognized the need for an accountability system. A hand hygiene secret observer was temporarily hired.

In an effort to add humor to hand hygiene the hospital created a “Don’t Monkey Around With Hand Hygiene” department challenge. Each clinical and ancillary department was given a stuffed monkey to decorate. It prompted the idea to design a “Don’t Monkey Around with Hand Hygiene” calendar, which were distributed to all participating departments.

Since the monkey decorating initiative, the hospital’s hand hygiene results have been excellent. The hospital went from 65% hand hygiene compliance in January 2008 to 99% from October to December 2008. Because of its success, the hospital is continually using the monkey theme throughout its old and new hand hygiene initiatives.

— Sunnye Owens-Garrett, Gail Kenny, RN, and Barbara Gills, RN