Ms. Katie M Cavnar

The number one national patient safety goal of the Joint Commission (01.01.01) emphasizes improved patient identification (ID) practices.1 Simulated patient scenarios (SIM) provide students the opportunity to practice communication skills with "patients", including introducing themselves and requesting and verifying patient ID information. A patient simulation environment offers a safe, realistic practice setting for students to gain these skills.2 Hand Hygiene (HH) is a critical habit that must be learned and practiced before a student graduates and becomes a healthcare worker. In the United States alone, estimates are that 99,000 deaths are caused by healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) every year.3 The cost of treatment for these infections can range annually from $28.4 to 45 billion.3 Studies find that HH is critical for prevention of the transmission of HAIs and saving lives.4 However, this seemingly simple task is problematic, with reported HH compliance rates from 34-50% for healthcare workers.3' 4 A recent study has shown evidence that the World Health Organization's (WHO) 6-step process HH technique significantly reduces bacterial count more than the basic HH technique.5 Patient identification and handwashing are emphasized to Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) students in the classroom. During the IPE SIM experience, the CLS students were to practice these skills: * Perform HH when entering the patient's environment, * Introduce themselves, explaining the purpose of their visit to withdraw blood specimen, * Conduct careful patient identification by verbal verification, and by comparing the patient ID armband for match with specimen request information; * Simulate blood specimen withdrawal at the patient bedside, * Safely leave the patient environment by again performing HH.