Cluain Árainn Joins National Hand Hygiene Programme – Tipperary Mid West Radio

L-R Michelle Hennebry (Infection Control Specialist/South Tipperary, HSE), Pamela Landers (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Infection Control), Kate Vallence (Staff Nurse), Margo Delaney (Staff Nurse), Angela Corby (Acting Clinical Nurse Manager 2), Dr. Rosemary Curran (Consultant Microbiologist, HSE/South East Community Healthcare), Dr. Sariya Khan (Medical Officer),

Celine O’ Donnell (Staff Nurse/Infection Control link practitioner), Adrian Usher (Chef), Eliza Fitzpatrick (Multi Task Assistant), Carmel Redfern (Acting Director of Nursing) and Pauline Ryan (Multi Task Assistant),

Cluain Árainn, the HSE Community Nursing Unit in Tipperary town is the latest HSE service to joins in implementation of the national hand hygiene programme

The hand hygiene campaign is titled  “RESIST” – this is a name for a number of hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives under the HSE’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control programme (AMRIC).

The programme promotes a combination of hand hygiene training with standardised national training materials. Hand hygiene has been at the forefront of all of the initiatives that the HSE has been implementing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 –  an airborne virus.  The RESIST campaign is to refresh hand hygiene messages and to keep promoting the importance of clean hands.

Speaking at the launch of RESIST in Cluain Árainn, its Acting Director of Nursing Carmel Redfearn says “Cleaning your hands properly, at the correct time, when delivering care to patients and residents is the most effective way to stop the spread of many infections. When healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and carers keep their hands clean, they help prevent the spread of serious healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). These are infections that can happen in any healthcare service.”

 Michelle Hennebry (Infection Control Specialist/South Tipperary, HSE) says:“Staff, residents, patients and visitors all have a role to play, to help stop the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections and join the superbug resistance.”

Cluain Árainn comprises two components, a community nursing unit (10 beds) and a residential nursing unit (20 beds). The community nursing unit provides palliative, respite/short-term and convalescent care in the heart of Tipperary town.