Hospital Acquired Infection Case Study
The aim of this essay is to ascertain what hospital acquired infection entails, the detrimental effects it causes and to highlight the active role nurses can take in the prevention of this type of infection.
Hospital acquired (or nosocomial) infection is: 'one that originated in the hospital environment; i.e. was not present or incubating on admission and which appeared 48h or more after admission ' (Azzam et al. 2001). Infection is caused by pathogenic organisms which invade the hosts immunological defence mechanism; this can be through wounds left by invasive procedures whereby the host 's natural body defences have been bypassed.
It is the nurses ' responsibility to know the factors that can increase patients ' susceptibility to infection …show more content…
Clause 1 of the code informs nurses that, 'You have a duty of care to your patients and clients, who are entitled to receive safe and competent care '. To fulfil these criteria, nurses must ensure that care is taken to ensure that dangerous or potentially harmful substances (e.g. drugs) or articles are handled and stored safely and that all equipment and appliances are properly maintained.
Nurses are role models to the people with whom they come into contact, whether it is patients, visitors, students, or any healthcare workers. Therefore they should insist on compliance with basic procedures and practices as part of their job. They must assume responsibility for these practices as they are also held accountable under the NMC code of conduct and so should be at the forefront of efforts to prevent and control …show more content…
2001). These conclude that hand medicated transmission is a major contributing factor in the current infection threats to hospital patients. According to RCN guidelines (1995) hands should be washed: before and after any duty which involves close contact with a patient; before and after aseptic technique or invasive procedures; after contact with body secretions/ excretions; after handling contaminated laundry or equipment; after removal of gloves, masks and aprons; before administration of food, drink and drugs; and at the end of a span of duty.
Precautions adopted to destroy pathogens, prevent the spread of infection and to protect patients against infection during their stay in hospital, include the use of barrier nursing and the aseptic technique. These are adopted to increase the patient 's resistance to infection, to eradicate the sources or potential sources of infection and to minimise, or if possible stop, the means of bacterial transfer to the uninfected
Hospital acquired (or nosocomial) infection is: 'one that originated in the hospital environment; i.e. was not present or incubating on admission and which appeared 48h or more after admission ' (Azzam et al. 2001). Infection is caused by pathogenic organisms which invade the hosts immunological defence mechanism; this can be through wounds left by invasive procedures whereby the host 's natural body defences have been bypassed.
It is the nurses ' responsibility to know the factors that can increase patients ' susceptibility to infection …show more content…
Clause 1 of the code informs nurses that, 'You have a duty of care to your patients and clients, who are entitled to receive safe and competent care '. To fulfil these criteria, nurses must ensure that care is taken to ensure that dangerous or potentially harmful substances (e.g. drugs) or articles are handled and stored safely and that all equipment and appliances are properly maintained.
Nurses are role models to the people with whom they come into contact, whether it is patients, visitors, students, or any healthcare workers. Therefore they should insist on compliance with basic procedures and practices as part of their job. They must assume responsibility for these practices as they are also held accountable under the NMC code of conduct and so should be at the forefront of efforts to prevent and control …show more content…
2001). These conclude that hand medicated transmission is a major contributing factor in the current infection threats to hospital patients. According to RCN guidelines (1995) hands should be washed: before and after any duty which involves close contact with a patient; before and after aseptic technique or invasive procedures; after contact with body secretions/ excretions; after handling contaminated laundry or equipment; after removal of gloves, masks and aprons; before administration of food, drink and drugs; and at the end of a span of duty.
Precautions adopted to destroy pathogens, prevent the spread of infection and to protect patients against infection during their stay in hospital, include the use of barrier nursing and the aseptic technique. These are adopted to increase the patient 's resistance to infection, to eradicate the sources or potential sources of infection and to minimise, or if possible stop, the means of bacterial transfer to the uninfected