BIOS 242 Week 5 Lab 2; How Germs Spread

Lab 10: How Germs Spread Learning objectives: • To learn how germs spread • To better understand the spread of germs, by healthcare professionals, from patient to patient • To better understand the importance of good handwashing. Germs spread in many different ways. Direct contact, indirect contact, aerosol transmission, sexually transmitted or through a vector. In this lab, we will observe how germs spread. Materials: Glow in the dark gel, Black light Method: 1. Wear personal protective equipment including lab coat, safety glasses and gloves. 2. Instructor will provide glow in the dark gel to students. Gel is used to simulate how germs will spread. 3. Take some gel in your hands (after wearing gloves), rub hands thoroughly and then proceed to carry out any work assigned by instructor. 4. Move around, touch surfaces and objects as you would normally do on any other day. 5. After 30-60 minutes, turn off lights in the class room and observe. 6. Glowing spots show where germs have spread. 7. With gloves on, perform good handwashing technique using the available soap. 8. Turn off the lights and observe your hands (ie gloves) for glowing bacteria. 9. Wash different bench tops with soap and water, alcohol, and disinfectants. 10. Turn off the lights and observe for glowing bacteria. Use black light if necessary. 11. Write down observations in the lab report. Lab Report: Purpose: Describe the purpose of the lab. The purpose of this lab is to learn how germs spread, and to understand the spread of germs by healthcare professionals. Also, to better understand the importance of good handwashing technique. A. Describe your observations in the space below about spread of “germs” by you. B. Describe your observations in the space below about the presence of “germs” on your gloves after hand washing. C. Which cleaners or disinfectants did you use to clean up germs from surfaces after this experiment? Were those agents effective? Questions: 1. Why is it necessary for Nurses to prevent the spread of bacteria? 2. What are five ways that healthcare professionals can spread bacteria? 3. List and describe the different types of hospital acquired infections. How can healthcare professionals prevent HAIs?