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And people wonder why I don't shake hands with patients.
We even have special one-use-and-discard pens that we give to people who are either really icky, known to be infected with something we are scared of, or have come from prison. There is only one real passtime in prison, and we assume everyone takes part. Thus, disposable pens. On the rare occasions we forget to take the dispostable pen "please just drop that on the clipboard, no don't hand it to me" our own pens get liberally swabbed down with alcohol swabs or sprayed with disinfectant.
From what I understand, recently pissed on hands actually have a lower bacteria count than a hand that has touched the flush-lever, water spigot, or bathroom door. Piss is relatively clean, by bacterial/viral standards. That's your killer ... the exit door handle. And, as we know (HHGTTG), public telephones.
The OSHA approved method for handwashing, incidentally, requires that the water be left running while the hands are being dried with a clean towel. The faucet is turned off with said towel, otherwise you are recontaminating yourself. You should also retain said towel for egress from the restroom ... no knob/handle touching there either. Dispose of towel in next available trashcan.
I wash my hands nearly as many times a day as someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but I do have an excuse. My only problem is that in winter months especially, this tends to take it's toll on my hands. Nasty chilblains. I'm still in search of a good hand moisturizer that doesn't leave your hands all greasy and slippery. I'm at the point where if I can find one here, I'll have to go down to the Agway feed store for a container of Bag Balm. Of course, I don't need the "large barn" size ... mebbe they have a sample container?
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