
Maureen Spencer, M.Ed, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC - Creative Hand Hygiene Program Background:
In 1992 I completed a Master's of Education in Health Promotion. The foundation was based on social learning theory and how to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors towards healthy goals. At the time, 1989, I was the Director of the Infection Control Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA and we were in the midst of rolling out the Blood Borne Pathogen Standard throughtout the hospital. MGH at that time had over 1000 beds, 22,000 employees and was located in three cities.
I used a multi-media kit and local department champions to implement the practices among the employees and to multiple departments and research labs. It was such a success with staff delighted to help in the "train the trainer" program.
In 2003, when I arrived at New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) -an orthopedic center of excellence in Boston - where infection control was highly regarded and respected, I was charged with implementing the 2002 CDC Guideline on Hand Hygiene. I needed funding for the first campaign so I asked if there were any patient education funds or endowments and there was a $2000.00 endowment to the Infectious Disease Department that was available. I was awarded the funds and went to work in creating a weeklong campaign in the cafeteria and on nursing units on hand hygiene. It was such a huge success that they awarded me a hand hygiene budget each year to continue the campaigns. We presented two in the spring and two in the fall and then a larger hand hygiene fair (The Bug Beat Fair) each summer. There are several posters on the work we did at NEBH in the abstracts and poster page.
In 2011 I started working for Universal Health Services as Corporate Director, Infection Prevention for a 28 hospitals system in 7 states. As I traveled with the corporate survey team to our hospitals I rolled out hand hygiene campaigns during my visit. It takes a team - and we used the principles of social learning theory to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors related to hand hygiene.
Principles of Social Learning Theory
In 1992 I completed a Master's of Education in Health Promotion. The foundation was based on social learning theory and how to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors towards healthy goals. At the time, 1989, I was the Director of the Infection Control Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA and we were in the midst of rolling out the Blood Borne Pathogen Standard throughtout the hospital. MGH at that time had over 1000 beds, 22,000 employees and was located in three cities.
I used a multi-media kit and local department champions to implement the practices among the employees and to multiple departments and research labs. It was such a success with staff delighted to help in the "train the trainer" program.
In 2003, when I arrived at New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) -an orthopedic center of excellence in Boston - where infection control was highly regarded and respected, I was charged with implementing the 2002 CDC Guideline on Hand Hygiene. I needed funding for the first campaign so I asked if there were any patient education funds or endowments and there was a $2000.00 endowment to the Infectious Disease Department that was available. I was awarded the funds and went to work in creating a weeklong campaign in the cafeteria and on nursing units on hand hygiene. It was such a huge success that they awarded me a hand hygiene budget each year to continue the campaigns. We presented two in the spring and two in the fall and then a larger hand hygiene fair (The Bug Beat Fair) each summer. There are several posters on the work we did at NEBH in the abstracts and poster page.
In 2011 I started working for Universal Health Services as Corporate Director, Infection Prevention for a 28 hospitals system in 7 states. As I traveled with the corporate survey team to our hospitals I rolled out hand hygiene campaigns during my visit. It takes a team - and we used the principles of social learning theory to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors related to hand hygiene.
Principles of Social Learning Theory
- Role Modeling (demonstrating practices, education, communication, interactions with clinicians and staff)
- Self Efficacy (increasing the IPs self-esteem through recognition)
- Reinforcement and Feedback (consistent messaging through the campaigns, hand hygiene compliance rates)
- Contracting (to enter raffles we have staff "pledge" by writing a contract that they would do better hand hygiene)
- Reciprocity (by distributing raffles, prizes, gift cards, sanitizer and creating fun activities we engaged the staff to feel gratitude and respect for the Infection Prevention Program).

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