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California State Boards Hand Washing Procedures

The California State Boards, which are various licensing tests for medical professionals, exist to ensure that individuals who will work in the health care field know and understand the basic procedures they will be using in caring for patients. One of the most basic and important of these skills is proper hand washing. Research in recent years has shown that washing hands — if done properly — can reduce the spread of disease. No doubt that is why the Certified Nurse Assistant test requires every student to demonstrate to a nurse evaluator exactly how to properly wash hands.

  1. When to Wash Hands

    • Part of a health care worker's responsibility is knowing when it's necessary to wash hands. According to the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, hands should be washed before and after treating each patient, before putting on gloves and after removing the gloves, and after touching any object that is likely to be contaminated.

    Wash and Scrub

    • The California Nurse Assistant test, which adheres to the standards of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program, specifies that hands should be washed by turning on the faucet and wetting the hands and wrists thoroughly, then adding soap. Next, the procedure is to rub hands together to create a lather and scrub all areas of the hands and wrists. This includes scrubbing all sides of the fingers, fingertips, nails, between fingers and the backs and palms of hands as well as the wrists. To thoroughly clean fingertips, the nurse assistant materials suggest rubbing them against the opposite palms. Scrub for at least 15 seconds. The CDC recommends scrubbing for 20 seconds, or the time it takes to hum the song "Happy Birthday."

    Rinse Thoroughly

    • Rinse all lathered areas of wrists, hands and fingers, including between fingers and under the nails. While rinsing, keep your fingertips down and your hands lower than your elbows. This ensures that the soapy water is rinsed off your hands and doesn't run back down to your wrists. Don't touch the inside of the sink at any time while washing your hands, since the sink can have dirt and germs in it.

    Dry with Paper Towel

    • Use a clean paper towel to dry your hands and throw the paper towel away without touching the trash can. Use a second paper towel if you need to continue drying your hands. Use another paper towel to turn off the faucets and throw that paper towel away. If the sink has knee or foot controls, use those to turn off the faucets. The CDC suggests that an air dryer may be used instead of paper towels, but take care, of course, not to touch any part of the dryer with your hands in the process.

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