Hand Hygiene: The Five Moments in Real Practice
The single most effective infection control measure, taught properly.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Who it is for
Nurse · Physician · Pharmacist · Allied Health · Student · Medical Secretary
4. 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
5. 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
6. Curriculum
Module 1: Why Hands Matter Most
- Why Hands Matter Most
Module 2: The Five Moments in Practice
- The Five Moments in Practice
Module 3: Technique and Contact Time
- Technique and Contact Time
Module 4: Gloves, Skin and Compliance
- Gloves, Skin and Compliance
7. Duration and structure
Total study hours: 1.5 — 1.25h content + 0.25h assessment. Duration is expressed in study hours only.
9. What you receive
This certificate confirms completion of Hand Hygiene: The Five Moments in Real Practice. Duration is expressed in study hours.
10. Delivery format
Self-paced · start any time · any device · lifetime access to the enrolled version.