When should a Patient Care Technician (PCT) wash their hands?

A Patient Care Technician (PCT) should wash their hands before and after patient contact, after using the restroom, and before handling food to maintain proper hygiene and prevent the spread of infection. Hand hygiene is a critical part of patient safety and care.

Washing hands before and after patient contact helps eliminate pathogens that could be transferred between patients and between healthcare providers. This practice is essential in both preventing healthcare-associated infections and protecting patients who may have compromised immune systems.

Additionally, handwashing after using the restroom is crucial since it prevents the transmission of bacteria that can be present on the hands after toileting. Washing hands before handling food ensures that any germs on the hands do not contaminate the food, which is vital for both patient safety and general public health.

This comprehensive approach to hand hygiene maximizes the effectiveness of preventing the spread of infections, making it the correct answer in this context. Each of the other options provided suggests limited scenarios for handwashing that do not encompass the full range of situations where hand hygiene is important.