During which process should a CNA ensure proper hygiene standards to minimize infection risk?

Ensuring proper hygiene standards is critical in healthcare settings to minimize the risk of infection, and washing hands before patient care is one of the most effective practices for achieving this. Hand hygiene significantly reduces the transmission of pathogens, as hands can easily carry germs that can be passed onto patients, equipment, and other surfaces.

By washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or using hand sanitizer, a CNA effectively removes dirt, bacteria, and viruses, thereby protecting both patients and staff from potential infections. This step is essential before any direct patient care activities, such as bathing, feeding, or assisting with personal hygiene, as it sets a baseline of cleanliness that helps establish a safer environment for everyone involved.

While all the other processes listed in the question are important to patient care, they do not inherently focus primarily on minimizing infection risk through hygiene like proper handwashing does. For example, transferring patients is about physical assistance, documenting is related to maintaining patient information, and communicating with staff involves information exchange, none of which directly address the essential practice of hand hygiene in the context of infection control.