Every year from May 6th to 12th is celebrated as the International Nursing Week, while May 5th is observed as the World Hand Hygiene Day. In this Cover Story we look at the crucial role that the Nurses play in prevention and control of infections through hand hygiene.

5 moments of hand hygiene

Role in the HIC and incident reporting

• At SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, compliance with hand hygiene is monitored by a committee called the Hospital Infection Control Committee (HIC). The committee has the Infection Control Nurse, the representative Nurses from each of the departments of the hospital, the Head of Microbiology, the Nursing Superintendent and the Director as its members.

• The committee assesses the compliance of hand hygiene practices through hand hygiene tools, tracking and follow-up of the post-op patients, checking the maintenance and adherence to the insertion and maintenance bundle for CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP SSI].

• Incident reporting: Nurses report lapses in hand hygiene practices that could lead to infection outbreaks.

Promoting a culture of safety

• Nurses in the hospital advocate for the optimum availability of necessary supplies like hand sanitiser and soap solutions when necessary.

• The nurses, by educating and demonstrating the hand hygiene protocol, engender a change in attitudes and behaviour of the staff and the patients. This helps in creating a culture of safety in the hospital.

The hospital HAI indicators are below the benchmark of [NHSN & INCC]. Hand Hygiene compliance at our hospital is at 99%.

Sister Kamal Acharya joined the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram in the year 1993. First she studied nursing in the hospital and at the completion of the course she was appointed as a staff nurse. After a 32-year long association with Bhagawan Baba’s hospital she is retiring this year as the In-charge Nurse of the Urology Opertation Theartre. Here she shares a unique experience with Bhagawan.

While I was undergoing training to become a nurse one day our in-charges prayed to Swami to visit our hostel on the campus. It was a wish of every resident of the hostel. Mother Sai responded positively.

Few days later, our Divine Mother walked into the hostel. We students were divided into two blocks front and back - with a walking space in between. I was held up with some arrangments and was unable to sit in the front block.

I could only sit in the first line of the second block. Swami’s throne was put at the right-hand side corner of the prayer hall. Swami sat there and I was far from His chair. I was feeling extremely sad about this. All I knew was to pray and I was doing it non-stop. Swami suddenly got up from the chair and started walking. To our surprise He came and stood in between the two blocks. He stood right in front of me. He delivered His divine discourse for an hour. I just kept staring at Him. I forgot everything around me and even myself. As He was leaving I was blessed with his Padanamaskar.

After this, my friend who was sitting behind me asked me. “What is this Kamal, for the entire discourse Swami was looking only at you and delivering His message as through He came only to speakto you !”

I realised then that throughout His discourse except for a few moments He was looking directly at me. I was worried about not getting an opportunity to sit in the front and here He had blessed me with this rare opportunity to be close to Him and also receive His Padanamaskar. I understood that day that earnest prayers can easily melt Swami’s heart.

RARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF BHAGAWAN BABA IN THE HOSPITAL

Devotees from Japan visited the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram as part of their Japan Day Celebrations at Prasanthi Nilayam.