As part of the awareness day, the hospital is offering its employees a modern, interactive 3D training program. Using VR headsets in a realistic virtual hospital environment, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “5 Moments of Hand Hygiene” are practiced in a practical, three-dimensional setting. The goal is to reliably identify hygiene-related situations and act correctly in order to sustainably improve patient safety.
This immersive learning format enables nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to actively experience typical everyday clinical situations and receive immediate feedback. This promotes practical learning that strengthens the implementation of hygiene standards over the long term and contributes to the prevention of hospital-acquired infections.
“Proper hand disinfection is a simple yet extremely effective measure for preventing the transmission of pathogens—both for patients and for staff,” explains Dr. Jörn-Peter Oeltze, Head of Hospital Hygiene at GPR Klinikum.
At GPR Klinikum, adherence to hygiene standards has always been an integral part of daily work in the fight against hospital-acquired infections. But hand hygiene extends beyond the hospital setting: Even in private life, regular and thorough handwashing plays a key role in breaking chains of infection and preventing the spread of colds, gastrointestinal illnesses, and other diseases.
“Hand hygiene concerns us all. It starts with small actions—for example, before eating, after using the restroom, or after touching public surfaces—yet it has a significant impact,” Dr. Oeltze continued. “By participating in Hand Hygiene Day, we want to send a clear message: for greater mindfulness, responsibility, and health protection—both in the hospital and in daily life.”
The hospital management also emphasizes the importance of the issue: “All our employees are committed to maintaining and further developing hygiene standards with the utmost care. Our hygiene team works continuously to further improve the GPR Clinic in this area,” explains GPR Managing Director Achim Neyer.
The introduction of the 3D training is part of the hospital’s ongoing quality and safety strategy and is based on modern, interactive learning approaches, which are increasingly being used in the healthcare sector. Such training methods have been proven to support the long-term retention of hygiene knowledge and the improvement of practical actions in everyday hospital life.
Last year, the GPR Clinic was once again recognized for its above-average efforts in hand hygiene as part of the nationwide “Clean Hands Campaign” and received the Silver Certificate. This award confirms the facility’s successful measures to improve hand disinfection and underscores the high hygiene standards at the GPR Clinic.
With a combination of continuous quality assurance, a dedicated hygiene team, and innovative training formats, the GPR Clinic is once again sending a clear signal this year regarding patient safety and infection prevention.