Of course NICU cleaning practices, and well baby cleaning practices are
different.
With mothers who are pumping for well babies (or maybe where a term baby
may very have short term O2 therapy), I would provide a small plastic
basin, baby bath soap, and clean towels and washcloths. The key is to rinse
immediately, wash thoroughly, rinse and let dry on a clean surface.

In the NICU as you mention, I would have a concern about the sharing of so
few pumps. Unfortunately I have seen many times where environmental
services staff have put a pump back in service that was obviously not
clean. A quick wipe down is not sufficient, but a good scrubbing of dried
milk on the pump, and even cleaning of the electrical cord is required.
Then the wipe down with the hospital approved cleaner and the waiting
period which can be 3 to 5 minutes for the disinfection to occur.

Someone has to take ownership of this cleaning process. If it is to be the
environmental services staff, I suggest the NICU manager and the
Environmental manager do a together staff education with the staff.
Discuss and demonstrate the proper cleaning, and the life and death
consequences of not doing so properly. A slide show with a septic baby
and/or NEC could make a big impression.

I really don't know how much education environmental staff get. For
example, I saw one such staff cleaning with a cloth and then set the dirty
cloth on the handrail where patients ambulate and hold the rails.  I
pointed out to him that this would spread germs to all who had touched the
handrail.

Laurie Wheeler RN MN IBCLC
Gulf Coast Mississippi USA

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