Hand Hygiene Course

Hand Hygiene – Online Course

Course overview
This online course introduces effective hand hygiene practices and explains how proper hand cleaning helps prevent the spread of infection. Learners explore routes of transmission, handwashing techniques, alcohol-based handrub, hand care and the appropriate use of medical gloves. The course also covers the five moments for hand hygiene, supporting safer practices in healthcare and social care environments. It takes approximately one hour to complete and is CPD-accredited, awarding 1 CPD point.

Please note: This Level 1 introductory course provides awareness and knowledge of hand hygiene and infection prevention. It does not replace any practical, regulated or role-specific training that an employer may require.

What the course covers
• The importance of hand hygiene in infection prevention
• How infections spread and common routes of transmission
• Effective hand-cleaning methods
• Using alcohol-based handrub correctly
• Washing hands with soap and water
• Hand care and fingernail hygiene
• The five moments for hand hygiene
• Hand hygiene before touching a patient
• Hand hygiene before clean or aseptic procedures
• Hand hygiene after a body fluid exposure risk
• Hand hygiene after touching a patient
• Hand hygiene after touching a patient’s surroundings
• Appropriate use of medical gloves

Who is it for?
This Level 1 awareness course is suitable for professionals working in healthcare and social care settings who need to understand and apply appropriate hand hygiene practices. It is particularly relevant to:
• Nurses and healthcare assistants
• Doctors and other medical practitioners
• Infection prevention and control practitioners
• Care home staff and support workers
• Dentists and dental hygienists
• Staff involved in direct patient care
• Professionals responsible for maintaining hygienic care environments

The course can support staff induction, refresher training, general awareness and knowledge development.

Practical benefits
• Improve understanding of how infections can spread
• Apply appropriate handwashing and handrub techniques
• Recognise when hand hygiene is particularly important
• Support infection prevention and control in care environments
• Understand the importance of hand care and fingernail hygiene
• Develop awareness of appropriate medical glove use
• Help reduce the risk of cross-contamination
• Support safer practices for patients, service users and staff
• Gain a CPD-accredited certificate after successfully completing the quiz

What learners will be able to do
• Explain how infections can spread through different routes of transmission
• Recognise common sources of infection
• Apply effective hand hygiene principles
• Understand how to wash hands with soap and water
• Use alcohol-based handrub appropriately
• Identify the five moments for hand hygiene
• Recognise when hand hygiene is required during patient care
• Understand appropriate medical glove use
• Recognise the importance of hand care and fingernail hygiene
• Apply hand hygiene knowledge to support safer care practices

Assessment and certificate
Learners complete an online quiz at the end of the course. Unlimited assessment retakes are available. On successful completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited digital Hand Hygiene certificate, which can be downloaded or printed at home free of charge. A hard-copy certificate can also be requested. The course is delivered online and is suitable for introductory learning, induction and refresher training.