Description
As a final year Nursing student, my professor required me to make a video and create a poster for appropriate handwashing to sensitize the community in the wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COV-19). The video and poster were to contain a procedural guideline on how people can wash their hands to meet recommended hygiene levels. I was to perform the task at home and submit both the poster and video on the class canvas for the professor’s review. The assignment required me to have appropriate utilities and equipment such as clean running water, soap, fresh hand towels, and a video recording device for the demonstration.
Feelings
The experience was satisfying and fulfilling. I felt a sense of social responsibility to my community by undertaking the hand hygiene demonstration. As a nursing student, hygiene education was particularly a good idea for me to put my skills to good use in helping society (Labrague, McEnroe‐Petitte, Van de Mortel & Nasirudeen, 2018). Also, creating the video gave me a sense of satisfaction to know that my local authority would later use it as an educative video for the community members. However, I was a bit overwhelmed by the fear of not getting everything correct and whether people will become too critical of my hand hygiene procedures. Also, I knew that I was competing with other students too who were striving to create a perfect video demonstration, which gave me a sense of anxiety of what the possible outcomes could be.
Evaluation.
I had to perform and repeat the handwashing over and over again because I was nervous, and I missed some steps, or I did not give adequate time for other actions. For example, I felt I had scrubbed my hands for less than the required time, which made me repeat the steps. Also, I did not have the proper equipment to scan for the germs on my hands for demonstration purposes. Finding a paper towel to dry my hands was a challenge. A clean kitchen towel was the best alternative to a paper towel in drying my hands. However, I advised the viewers only to use the kitchen towel once and wash it.
Analysis
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) and World Health Organization ( WHO) endorse seven steps of appropriate handwashing such as washing hands with running water, applying enough soap, lather and rubbing hands and wrist thoroughly, scrubbing hand for more than 20 seconds, rinsing with clean running water, and using a clean towel to dry hands, and turning off the faucet using a paper towel ( WHO , 2020). My demonstration was in line with the WHO and CDC guidelines. Even though I had to repeat some steps to ensure I did a comprehensive presentation, my video and poster included all the recommended stages (CDC, 2020). Also, I did a little demonstration of the kinds of soap that people should use for healthy and damaged skins.
Conclusion
The experience was involving and challenging. From the analysis of my video, I believe I undertook an excellent hand hygiene demonstration. I would love to continue doing the same type of hygiene demonstration because hand washing is not only excellent in preventing COV-19 transmission, but it can be employed stop the transfer of other disease-causing agents such as the flu virus and Hepatitis B and C. Also, in the future, I will include hand hygiene videos that show how alcohol-based hand sanitizers to be used as an alternative to soap and water to clean their hands (Chakraborty, 2020). The hand hygiene was a simple, low-cost way for people to protect themselves and their families from COV-19.
Action Plan.