Posted By Stuart C Can anyone help me. As part of a study I need to have an average time (if such a thing exists) that it takes a nurse to wash his/her hands. If anyone knows or knows how to find out the total length of time, from hand prep & washing through to drying, i would be grateful for some assistance. Thanks SC

Posted By Stuart C Terri, thanks for that, but its not quite the helpful comment I would have wished for. Perhaps my own fault for not providing more detail on the study. The assumption you have that it is based on cost/or time implications of hand washing is wrong though. And such a study would be pointless given the NICE guidelines which are very clear on the matter. My study is not about handwashing rather time savings that can be achieved if other issues in healthcare are managed differently. Such savings can be translated into cost but these are only theoretical. It is perhaps more helpful to those it is aimed at if the time savings I project can be translated into making time available for other things such as more personal time with patients or say washing their hands.

Posted By Karen Todd Stuart, I know it's not quite what you've asked for, but might be relevant. I remember reading somewhere recently about a trial of an alcohol based spray for use between seeing patients - the theory being that squirting some of this stuff on your hands, rubbing them together and the stuff evaporating off is quicker than actual 'washing' but still as effective at killing germs. Karen