When should a CNA perform hand hygiene?

Performing hand hygiene is a critical practice in healthcare, particularly for CNAs, as it helps prevent the spread of infections. The correct choice emphasizes the importance of hand hygiene being performed both before and after patient contact, as well as before handling food or medication. This practice helps safeguard both the patient and the caregiver by reducing the transmission of pathogens that can cause infections.

Before patient contact, hand hygiene ensures that any potential contaminants from the caregiver’s hands do not enter the patient's environment. After patient contact, it is essential to remove any pathogens that may have been transferred during the interaction. Additionally, performing hand hygiene before handling food or medication is crucial because these activities could compromise patient safety if pathogens were present on the caregiver's hands.

Other responses do not capture the comprehensive nature of hand hygiene practices required in healthcare settings. For instance, limiting hand hygiene to only after patient contact ignores the critical need to prevent introducing pathogens to patients. Similarly, stating that hand hygiene is only necessary when hands are visibly dirty neglects the fact that pathogens can be present even when hands appear clean. Thus, the correct approach to hand hygiene includes multiple situations to ensure the highest standard of care and safety.