Hand Hygiene: The Five Moments in Real Practice
The single most effective infection control measure, taught properly.
Program overview
Hand hygiene compliance is measured everywhere and achieved almost nowhere. This short course goes beyond the poster: the five moments applied to genuinely ambiguous real situations, correct technique and contact time for both alcohol-based handrub and soap, the truth about gloves as a substitute, skin care and why dermatitis drives non-compliance, and how compliance is observed and audited. It closes with what actually improves compliance at ward level, which is rarely more training. WHO's 2026 target is hand hygiene monitoring in all reference hospitals.
Why this program
The five moments applied to ambiguous real cases
Correct contact time, taught and tested
Gloves and hand hygiene
the relationship made clear
Includes what actually improves compliance
Who it is for
Program objectives
- Identify the five moments for hand hygiene in complex clinical sequences
- Demonstrate correct technique and contact time for handrub and handwashing
- Explain when soap and water is required rather than alcohol handrub
- Describe the correct relationship between glove use and hand hygiene
- Recognise how skin condition affects compliance
- Interpret hand hygiene audit data for a clinical area
Learning outcomes
- Identify the required hand hygiene moments in a described care episode
- Select handrub or handwashing appropriately for a given situation
- Apply correct technique sequence and contact duration
- Differentiate glove use from hand hygiene as a protective measure
- Evaluate ward-level audit data for compliance patterns
- Recommend two practical compliance improvements for a described unit
Curriculum
Module 1: Why Hands Matter Most
1 lessonsWhy Hands Matter MostPreview
Transmission evidence and why compliance stays low.
Module 2: The Five Moments in Practice
1 lessons- The Five Moments in Practice
Module 3: Technique and Contact Time
1 lessons- Technique and Contact Time
Module 4: Gloves, Skin and Compliance
1 lessons- Gloves, Skin and Compliance
Duration and structure
4 lessons across 4 modules. Duration is expressed in study hours.
What you receive
This certificate confirms completion of Hand Hygiene: The Five Moments in Real Practice. Duration is expressed in study hours.
Delivery format
- Self-paced — start any time.
- Study on any device.
- Lifetime access to the version you enrolled in.