Leveraging your culture for change.

The focus of this article is on understanding how to assess the impact that culture has on the acceptance and implementation of new ideas. Some guidance is offered on how to develop a strategy for addressing a unit's local culture to minimize barriers to change and maximize the potential for successful implementation of best practices.

The evolution: Handwashing to hand hygiene guidance.

Handwashing is a fundamental principle and practice in the prevention, control, and reduction of healthcare-acquired infection. Advocated by Semmelweiss (Nursing, The Finest Art: An Illustrated History. St Louis: Mosby; 1985:204) from the 1800s to resolve an obstetric morbidity and mortality occurrence, the simple act of hand cleansing portrays the intuitive benefits to basic hygiene, health continuum, and, most important, disease prevention.