The purpose of this paper is to clearly define Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) in the surrounded world. As well as to identify who is at risk, and how people in the healthcare setting can reduce those risks. In addition to how this could save money for the healthcare setting, and prevent deaths from these infections. By providing a better quality of care for patients, and prevent unnecessary contaminations.
HAIs or also called Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are produced by viral, bacterial, fungal pathogens, and parasites (Cataldo et al., 2013). It is an infection that did not exist when the patient first came to the hospital. Yet it develops during the course of management for the patient’s original diagnosis. There are also cases where the infection does not develop until days after the patient had been discharged (Collin, 2008).
Everyone who receives care in a healthcare setting has the possibility of acquiring an HAI. However like with anything there are certain factors that increase a person’s risk, these factors are intrinsic and extrinsic. The factors are made up of a wide range, because HAIs can affect anyone from a newborn to a person at the end stages of life. Intrinsic risk factors are issues that already existed within the patient. When pertaining to HAIs these include; the person’s age, lifestyle, medication use, and if the person has an acute or chronic illness. A person’s age is a factor because when born a person is relatively immunocompromised, and with age the immune system becomes dysfunctional. If a person is overweight and smokes this can also put them at risk because smoking can interfere with the healing process, and being overweight can make it hard for cleanliness. Lastly medication in...
... middle of paper ...
...3rd ed., Vol. 3, p 1661-1664). Detriot: Gale, Cengage Learning. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2760400524&v=2.1&u=plysc_main&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=d1c7ab3fcaaae65791c55cfe42d7cfec
Collins, A. S. (2008). Chapter 41- Preventing health care-associated infections. In H. RG
(Ed.), Patient safety and quality: An Evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.plymouth.edu/books/NBK2683
Giuliano, K. K. , Kleinpell, R. M., Munro C. L. (2008). Chapter 42- Targeting health Care-
associated infections: evidence-base strategies. In H. RG (Ed.), Patient safety and quality: An Evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from http://wwwncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.plymouth.ed/books/NBK2632
Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are preventable and pose a threat to hospitals and patients; increasing the cost, nominally and physically, for both. Pneumonia makes up approximately 15% of all HAI and is the leading cause of nosocomial deaths. Pneumonia is most frequently caused by bacterial microorganisms reaching the lungs by way of aspiration, inhalation or the hematogenous spread of a primary infection. There are two categories of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP); Health-Care Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) and Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
Nurses are key components in health care. Their role in today’s healthcare system goes beyond bedside care, making them the last line of defense to prevent negative patient outcomes (Sherwood & Zomorodi, 2014). As part of the interdisciplinary team, nurses have the responsibility to provide the safest care while maintaining quality. In order to meet this two healthcare system demands, the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project defined six competencies to be used as a framework for future and current nurses (Sherwood & Zomorodi, 2014). These competencies cover all areas of nursing practice: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality
Scott, II, R. D. (2009). The direct medical costs of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and the benefits of prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/hai/scott_costpaper.pdf
The purpose of his article was to find a better way to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) and explain what could be done to make healthcare facilities safer. The main problem that Cole presented was a combination of crowded hospitals that are understaffed with bed management problems and inadequate isolation facilities, which should not be happening in this day and age (Cole, 2011). He explained the “safety culture properties” (Cole, 2011) that are associated with preventing infection in healthcare; these include justness, leadership, teamwork, evidence based practice, communication, patient centeredness, and learning. If a healthcare facility is not honest about their work and does not work together, the patient is much more likely to get injured or sick while in the
This literature review will analyze and critically explore four studies that have been conducted on hand hygiene compliance rates by Healthcare workers (HCWs). Firstly, it will look at compliance rates for HCWs in the intensive care units (ICU) and then explore the different factors that contribute to low hand hygiene compliance. Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) or Nosocomial Infections appear worldwide, affecting both developed and poor countries. HAIs represent a major source of morbidity and mortality, especially for patients in the ICU (Hugonnet, Perneger, & Pittet, 2002). Hand hygiene can be defined as any method that destroys or removes microorganisms on hands (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). According to the World Health Organization (2002), a HAI can be defined as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other health care facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. The hands of HCWs transmit majority of the endemic infections. As
Safety is focused on reducing the chance of harm to staff and patients. The 2016 National Patient Safety Goals for Hospitals includes criteria such as using two forms of identification when caring for a patient to ensure the right patient is being treated, proper hand washing techniques to prevent nosocomial infections and reporting critical information promptly (Joint Commission, 2015). It is important that nurses follow standards and protocols intending to patients to decrease adverse
O’Daniel, M., & A.H., R. (2008). Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2637/
The Joint Commission was founded in 1951 with the goal to provided safer and better care to all. Since that day it has become acknowledged as the leader in developing the highest standards for quality and safety in the delivery of health care, and evaluating organization performance (The Joint Commission(a) [TJC], 2014). The Joint Commission continues to investigate ways to better patient care. In 2003 the first set of National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) went into effect. This list of goals was designed by a group of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, risk managers, clinical engineers, and other professionals with hands-on experience in addressing patient safety issues in a wide variety of healthcare settings (TJC(b), 2014). The NPSGs were created to address specific areas of concern in patient safety in all health care settings.
Safety competency is essential for high-quality care in the medical field. Nurses play an important role in setting the bar for quality healthcare services through patient safety mediation and strategies. The QSEN definition of safety is that it “minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.” This papers primary purpose is to review and better understand the importance of safety knowledge, skills, and attitude within nursing education, nursing practice, and nursing research. It will provide essential information that links health care quality to overall patient safety.
Hospital acquired infections are one of the most common complications of care in the hospital setting. Hospital acquired infections are infections that patients acquired during the stay in the hospital. These infections can cause an increase in the number of days the patients stay in the hospital. Hospital acquired infections make the patients worse or even cause death. “In the USA alone, hospital acquired infections cause about 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths per year”(secondary).
The overall goal for the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) plan is to meet the challenge of educating and preparing future nurses to have the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential to frequently progress the quality and safety of the healthcare systems in the continuous improvement of safe practice (QSEN, 2014).Safety reduces the possibility of injury to patients and nurses. It is achieved through system efficiency and individual work performance. Organizations determine which technologies have an effective protocol with efficient practices to support quality and safety care. Guidelines are followed to reduce potential risks of harm to nurses or others. Appropriate policies
...s and measurement to decrease healthcare- associated infections. American Journal Of Infection Control, pp. S19-S25. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2012.02.008.
Patient safety must be the first priority in the health care system, and it is widely accepta-ble that unnecessary harm to a patient must be controlled.Two million babies and mother die due to preventable medical errors annually worldwide due to pregnancy related complications and there is worldwide increase in nosocomial infections, which is almost equal to 5-10% of total admissions occurring in the hospitals. (WHO Patient Safety Research, 2009). Total 1.4 million patients are victims of hospital-acquired infection. (WHO Patient Safety Research, 2009). Unsafe infection practice leads to 1.3 million death word wide and loss of 26 millions of life while ad-verse drug events are increasing in health care and 10% of total admitted patients are facing ad-verse drug events. (WHO Patient Safety Re...
Infection control is very important in the health care profession. Health care professionals, who do not practice proper infection control, allow themselves to become susceptible to a number of infections. Among the most dreaded of these infections are: hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Another infection which has more recently increased in prevalence is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These infections are all treated differently. Each infection has its own symptoms, classifications, and incubation periods. These infections are transmitted in very similar fashions, but they do not all target the same population.
...98,000 Americans die from these each year (Braunstein, 2012). With the treatment of holistic health care, the incidence rate of HAIs in hospitals can be decreased as well.