Audit of hand hygiene at Broadmoor, a high secure psychiatric hospital

Increased security measures at high secure psychiatric hospitals can complicate hand hygiene. This audit assessed the availability of appropriate hand hygiene equipment and the practice of good hand hygiene at Broadmoor Hospital using the local hand hygiene policy as the standard for comparison. A data collection tool used to audit the hand hygiene equipment on 23 wards in the hospital showed that there were significant deficits in the supply of hand hygiene equipment on the wards. In addition, a staff survey was conducted using a questionnaire designed to assess awareness, training and hand decontamination practice among nursing staff. This survey identified a need to increase awareness of the hand hygiene policy and the appropriate timing of hand decontamination procedures. As a result of the audit, appropriate equipment was ordered and the duties of infection prevention link nurses on each ward were made more explicit; namely, to check and order equipment for hand hygiene as necessary, to conduct regular reminder sessions of the hand decontamination procedure and to raise awareness of hand hygiene policy. Posters were also placed on wards in patient areas to increase awareness of hand hygiene among patients, and alcohol gel dispensers were introduced into nursing stations. Similar audits may prove beneficial at other psychiatric hospitals.