Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/571945
28 INFECTION PREVENTION / HAND HYGIENE Tips for changing cleaners e new cleaner had definite advantages. It came pre-mixed, unlike bleach, and it did not degrade surfaces. Additionally, changing cleaner led to a decrease in patient room turnover times, since environmental services did not have to clean with bleach and then again with another disinfectant, and the number of cleaner-related workers compensation claims dropped to zero. ere were some bumps in the road when it came to switching over, however. e new cleaner smells different then bleach — more of a vinegar smell — and it took some time for staff and patients alike to get used to that. "You can't over- communicate that it's the 'new smell of clean,'" Ms. Hotchkiss says of jumping that hurdle. Also, she adds, "the more you use it, the less it smells." According to Ms. Hotchkiss and Ms. Grae, changing cleaners to a new disinfectant isn't just as simple as putting the new cleaner on carts and calling it a day. "Any change is difficult," says Ms. Hotchkiss. She and Ms. Grae say they owe the success of this change and the program to the following: Having the right evidence to support the change. When asking someone to change their processes, it is important to communicate to them the reason or reasons the change needs to occur. "e 'why' needs to include specific data that staff and physicians can identify with," says Ms. Grae. is could involve showing data on infection rates and how effective the new cleaner is at killing the bacteria that cause infections. Getting support from leadership. "e reason we succeeded is because we had the support from leadership," Ms. Hotchkiss says. is includes not only the hospital's CNO, but also leaders at the director level in environmental services as well as charge nurses, she explains. "It's about the message and who it comes from." Involving multiple departments. Making such a change requires cross- department teamwork, as evidenced by how closely Ms. Grae from infection control and Ms. Hotchkiss from environmental services worked together to make this change possible. "Don't leave it up to one department," Ms. Grae urges. In the end, one month aer the implementation of the new cleaner, the hospital was already seeing results, Ms. Grae says. Eventually, the entire bundled approach led to a 23 percent reduction in C. diff infection rates at the hospital. n The 'why' needs to include specific data that staff and physicians can identify with. — Nikki Grae " "