RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

PatientSafety:InfectionControlinNursing
BrittanyRhodes
UniversityofArkansasatLittleRock

RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

Abstract
Thispaperexplainstheimportanceofpatientsafetyinnursing.Morespecifically,thispaper
discussesinfectioncontrolinhospitalsbythesimpleprocessofhandwashing.Thepaper
includessixarticlesthatwillhelpguidethereaderthroughseveralareasofpatientsafety.The
firstarticleusedisbyNationalInstituteofAllergyandInfectiousDiseases(NIAID).NIAID
explainswhatmicrobesareandhowtheyarespread.Thesecondarticle,writtenbyJ.Starrwill
explainwhatahospitalacquiredinfectionis.ThepaperusesarticlesbytheCDCtoinform
nursesandhospitalstaffonwhattodotopreventthespreadofinfections.
G.Avsar,Magfiret
Kasikci,andNilayYagcidiscusstheimportanceofhandwashinginahospitalsetting.

RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

Introduction
Background
Patientsafetyshouldbeanursesnumberonegoal.Manykeyfactorscanplayintoa
patientssafety.Apatientcanbeatriskoffalling,notbeinginreachoftheircalllight,orhurting
themselves.Mostofall,apatientisariskforcatchingahospitalspreadinfection.Alsoknown
as,anosocomialinfection.
Problem
Patientscancomeintocontactwithinfectiousmicrobeswhilebeinghospitalized.
Accordingtohealthcareexperts,infectiousdiseasescausedbymicrobesareresponsibleformore
deathsworldwidethananyothersinglecause.Theyestimatetheannualcostofmedicalcarefor
treatinginfectiousdiseasesintheUnitedStatesaloneisabout$120billion(NIAID,2009).One
majorcauseofthespreadofinfectionsisimproperhandwashingtechniquesbynurses.Astudy
wasdoneobservingnursingstudentswashingtheirhands.Theobserverswantedtoseehow
manystudentswerepropertywashingtheirhands.Itwasfoundthatmajorityofthestudentsdid
notproperlywashtheirhands(Avsar,Kasikci,Yagci,2015).Thisisabigproblem.
Purpose
Thepurposeofthisreportistoshowtheimportanceofpatiencesafety.Morespecifically,
patientsafetyregardinginfectioncontrol.Nursesandhospitalstaffmustuseproperhandwashing
techniquesinordertopreventthespreadofinfectionstopatients.Also,thisreportwillexplain
othermethodsofpreventingthespreadofinfection.

RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

Scopes
Thisreportexploreswhatinfectioncontrolfromwhereitstartstohowtopreventit.The
definitionofmicrobeswillbegivenandalsohowmicrobesarespread.Thereportexplainshow
properhandwashingtechniquesaredone.

Discussion
PatientSafety.
Bothpatientsafetyandinfectioncontrolisachallenge.Nosocomialorhospitalacquired
infectionsareconsideredoneofthemostcommoncomplicationsofhospitalized
patients(McKay,Farley,2006).Inordertoprotectthepatientsfromaninfectiontheydidnot
comeinwith,nursesmustbecareful.
TypesofNosocomialinfections.

Patientsareatriskforseveraltypesofhospitalspreadinfections.Theseinfections
includecentrallineassociatedbloodstreaminfections,catheterassociatedurinarytract
infections,surgicalsiteinfectionsandventilatorassociatedpneumonia.AccordingtotheCenters
forDiseaseControl,patientsarealsoatlargeriskforcatchingMRSAandClostridiumdifficile.
Howtopreventspreadofinfection.
CatheterCare:

Insertcathetersonlyforappropriateindications.Leavecathetersinplace
onlyaslongasneeded.Ensurethatonlyproperlytrainedpersonsinsertandmaintaincatheters.
Insertcathetersusingaseptictechniqueandsterileequipment(acutecaresetting).Followaseptic
insertion,maintainacloseddrainagesystem.Maintainunobstructedurineflow.
Surgicalsite:
Beforesurgerya
dministerantimicrobialprophylaxisinaccordancewith
evidencebasedstandardsandguidelines.Treatremoteinfectionswheneverpossiblebefore

RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

electiveoperations.Avoidhairremovalattheoperativesiteunlessitwillinterferewiththe
operationdonotuserazors.Useappropriateantisepticagentandtechniqueforskinpreparation
DuringSurgery:
KeepORdoorsclosedduringsurgeryexceptasneededforpassageof
equipment,personnel,andthepatient
AfterSurgery:
Maintainimmediatepostoperativenormothermia.Protectprimaryclosure
incisionswithsteriledressing.Controlbloodglucoselevelduringtheimmediatepostoperative
period(cardiac).Discontinueantibioticsaccordingtoevidencebasedstandardsandguidelines
CentralLineAssociatedInfections:Removeunnecessarycentrallines.Followproper
insertionpractices.Facilitateproperinsertionpractices.ComplywithCDChandhygiene
recommendations.Useappropriateagentforskinantisepsis.Choosepropercentrallineinsertion
sites.Performadequatehub/accessportdisinfection.Providestaffeducationoncentralline
maintenanceandinsertion
Clostridiumdifficile:ContactPrecautionsfordurationofdiarrhea.ComplywithCDC
handhygienerecommendations.Adequatecleaninganddisinfectionofequipmentand
environment.Laboratorybasedalertsystemforimmediatenotificationofpositivetestresults.
EducateaboutC.diffinfection:healthcarepersonnel,housekeeping,administration,patients,
families
MRSA:
ComplywithCDChandhygienerecommendations.ImplementContact
PrecautionsforMRSAcolonizedandinfectedpatients.RecognizepreviouslyMRSAcolonized
andinfectedpatients.RapidlyreportMRSAlabresults.ProvideMRSAeducationforhealthcare
providers(CDC,2012).

RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

HandwashingTechniques
.
Handwashingisoneoftheeasiestwaystopreventthespreadoftheinfection.Ittakes
littletimetodotheprocess.
Turnonthewaterandcheckthetemperatureiscomfortable.Wethandsunderrunning
water.Applysoapordetergenttothepalmsofthehandsandrubpalmstogethervigorously.
Placetherightpalmovertopofthelefthandandrub.Repeatthiswiththelefthandoverthe
righthand.Placepalmstogetherandinterlacefingersandrub.Linkfingerssothatthebacksof
fingersareagainsttheoppositepalmandrub.Placethefingertipsinthepalmoftheopposite
hand,rotateandrub.Repeatthisfortheotherhand.Grasptherightthumbwiththelefthand,
rotateandrub.Repeatwiththeoppositethumb.Grasptheleftwristwiththerighthand.Rotate
andrub.Repeatthisfortheotherwrist.(Ayliffeetal,1988).Rinsehandsthoroughly,holding
themdownwards.Turnofftapswithelbowsorwrists.Ifthisisnotpossible,useadisposable
papertoweltotouchthetapwhileturningitoff.Dryhandsthoroughlyusingasmanydisposable
papertowelsasnecessary.Placeusedtowelsinafootoperatedwastebin.Thisentireprocedure
normallytakes1530seconds.Alongersurgicalscrubwillrequireextrasoapordetergent
(NursingTimes).

Conclusion.

Ifanursefollowsinfectioncontrolguidelines,apatientssafetyshouldneverbe
compromised
.

RunningHead:PatientSafetyandInfectionControl

References
Avsar,G.,Kasikci,M.,&Yagci,N.(2015).Handwashingofnursingstudents:An
observationalstudy.
InternationalJournalofCaringSciences,8
(3),618624.Retrievedfrom
http://0search.proquest.com.iiiserver.ualr.edu/nursing/docview/1732805688/E01CFE6DE55246
C1PQ/1?accountid=14482
Handwashing.(n.d.).RetrievedMarch31,2016,from
http://www.nursingtimes.net/clinicalsubjects/infectioncontrol/handwashing/203785.fullarticle
McKay,M.,&Farley,M.(2006).INFECTIONCONTROLCIRCLEOFSAFETY.
CanadianOperatingRoomNursingJournal,24
(4),204,412.Retrievedfrom
http://0search.proquest.com.iiiserver.ualr.edu/nursing/docview/274680559/C8924EAFC4334D
C5PQ/1?accountid=14482
NationalInstituteofAllergyandInfectiousDiseases(NIAID).(2009,September).
RetrievedMarch13,2016,from
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/microbes/documents/microbesbook.pdf
TopCDCRecommendationstoPreventHealthcareAssociatedInfections.(2012).
RetrievedMarch11,2016,from

http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/prevent/topcdcrecspreventhai.html