1 Sixteen Minute Program
Grade(s): All Laundry personnel, housekeeping personnel
Curriculum: Health

Objectives:

At the completion of this program the viewer will be able to:

1. Realize the need to follow basic procedures in handling hospital linens that would be a definite factor in the reduction of the nosocomial infection rate in hospitals.
2. Identify the correct methods of handling soiled linens
3. Identify the correct procedures for handling clean linens
4. Realize the importance of proper handwashing procedures for the prevention of cross infection in hospitals
5. Identify the legion of weapons an institution has at its disposal that can be used effectively in the battle of controlling dangerous air-borne microorganisms.
6. Recognize the fact that linen has the means and way, not only to help control infection, but to drastically reduce it.

An estimated 6 billion pounds of linens are used yearly in U.S. hospitals. Soiled linens constitute one of the largest concentrations of microbial contamination in the hospital environment. This abundance of soiled linen places an enormous responsibility on the laundry department and its workers whose job is to return this soiled linen to service in a clean and safe condition, free of soil and microorganisms, which could cause cross-infection throughout the hospital. Adequate procedures for collection, transportation, processing, and storage of clean and soiled hospital linens are discussed in the program, so as to limit the possibility of infection in-patients who may be unusually susceptible.