St.Oliver Plunkett in Dundalk takes the lead in a national hand hygiene programme

St. Oliver Plunkett Community Unit, Dundalk has launched the HSE RESIST hand hygiene programme, to refresh the unit’s hand hygiene messages and to keep promoting the importance of clean hands.

This coincides with International Infection Prevention Control week, which allows us to highlight how we can protect our health.

Hand hygiene has been at the forefront of all the initiatives that the HSE has been implementing to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Speaking at the launch of the RESIST programme Joan Mc Court Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) said: “In St Oliver Plunkett Community Unit we have a good record in hand hygiene but we are always looking to improve our standards.

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“The RESIST programme will help us to do that and we are delighted to have been selected to be part of the rollout in HSE CHO residential services.

“We have always implemented good hand hygiene in practices in St Oliver Plunkett, but this new programme will help us to refresh and energise our hand hygiene approach. Along with our staff, our residents and their visitors have a role to play to help stop the spread of infections.”

The Infection Prevention and Control Nurses Lisa Fetherstone and Noeleen Hallahan and Antimicrobial Pharmacist Sarah Fagan joined the staff in St Oliver Plunkett to support the launch of RESIST.

Lisa Fetherstone, ADON Infection Prevention and Control Midlands Meath Louth Community Health Organisation, added: “The RESIST programme is aimed not just for healthcare workers but also includes everyone entering a facility/service and includes residents and visitors.

“When healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and carers, keep their hands clean, they help prevent the spread of serious healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs).

“These infections can happen in any healthcare service and can be very serious for our residents.

“We can all help stop the spread of these infections by cleaning our hands and join the Superbug Resistance.

“The Infection Prevention and Control/Antimicrobial Stewardship team will be extending the RESIST campaign across the CHO 8, and delighted that the initial launch is in St. Oliver Plunkett Community unit.”