...Abstract An exploration of the importance of Evidenced-Based Practice (EBP), and how it ensures quality healthcare and positive patient outcomes. We will take a look at a simple procedure such as hand washing and show why it is an EBP protocol. Why Is Hand Washing So Important? Everyone in the world is responsible for good hand hygiene. As healthcare providers, it is important to teach our patience the importance of good hand hygiene to prevent spread of infection and or disease. By doing this, you are involving patients in their care and helping the greater cause of disease prevention. All healthcare facilities include hand hygiene protocols. Where I work, the hospital policy is that we wash our hands upon entering a patient’s room, put on gloves, remove gloves, wash hands upon leaving that patient’s room, then wash hand again upon entering the next patient’s room…and continue that routine with each patient. We were allowed to us hand sanitizer up to three times, in place of washing with soap and water, providing the patient is not on contact or any other special precautions. For the most part, most of do this, but I did not see everyone following this protocol, especially doctors. Most of the staff only use the sanitizer all of the time. The only time hand washing protocol seems to be followed fully is when I witness sterile procedures. This is a problem and causes increased occurrence of healthcare associated infections (HAIs), but it is difficult to ensure healthcare...
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...Policies and Procedures: Hand Washing Every healthcare institution has to follow certain policies and procedures in order to ensure best patient outcome. Nurses follow procedures on the floor that institutional policies are put into practice. It is necessary that the policies and procedures drafted must be something that is clear, can be measured and enforced that it helps practitioner to understand the importance and effectiveness of the policy (Ray, 2011) , In this paper, I would like to detail the basic but the most important hospital policy; hand washing. In the united States, one every 136 patients visiting or admitted in hospital become seriously ill due to hospital acquired infections which equals two million cases a year (Joint Commission, 2011). Based on the research evidence, our hospital has hand washing policy implemented strictly that number of hospital acquired infections can be brought down with proper hand hygiene. The policy applies to all nurses, physicians, students, visitors and all healthcare professionals in the hospital settings. Hospital is a place where various patients with low immunity and different infections meet. It is the place where high chances of cross contamination and hospital acquired infections exist, resulting in high cost of care and numerous deaths. Importance of hand washing in reducing nosocomial or hospital acquired infections has been well described and advantages emphasized...
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...In the case of the Madison Community Hospital Infection Control Prevention issue with staff using hand sanitizer before and after being in an examination room to reduce the amount of MRSA contamination and prevent an outbreak in the hospital. The hygiene task force created to analyze data collected to find out why hand sanitization process is not working. The FOCUS model is being used to identify the issue of why employees are not using the hand hygiene process, to organize team to work on hand hygiene process, clarify process through mapping, understand process and issue, and select process improvements. This will occur by using data collection chart, process mapping flowcharts to show steps in the process and final analysis completed by using fish bone diagram. Some of the issues associated with caregivers not sanitizing their hands is they may not have the proper training on the importance of using hand sanitizing products, may have some caregivers who have an allergy to hand sanitizers that is not known to management, and hand sanitizers can cause excessive dry hands that can become painful when used as often as required. Other personnel that have access to the exam rooms are cleaning staff, administration to restock supplies and the transportation unit that comes to bring patients to and from other departments. Each department should have a peer representative that is familiar with all aspects of that department so that all concerns can be properly addressed. All...
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...Nightingale Community Hospital has subjected itself to a rigorous examination of its policies and practices to keep up with the latest Joint Commission standards. Clinical practice is constantly affected by changes in the health care system and other factors. It is the responsibility of the hospital to be aware of such changes and modify its practice and align its goals in order to better serve the community at large. In short, it means the hospital needs to maintain compliance with the Joint Commission standards and provide consistent and quality care to its recipients. Compliance is a difficult task to achieve. It requires great effort on the part on the administrators and work force and requires the collaboration of interdisciplinary teams to bring about the desired effect. In order to monitor compliance, the hospital utilizes a periodic performance review (PPR) tool to assess its performance by continuous monitoring and performance improvement activities. The PPR provides the chassis for continuous standards compliance and focuses on the essential systems and practices that affect patient care and safety. The hospital self-evaluates its adherence with all Joint Commission Accreditation Participation Requirements, National Patient Safety Goals, related Elements of Performance (EPs), and develops a Plan of Action for all areas of performance identified as being non-compliant. The hospital also develops Measures of Success (MOS) for determining whether the organization...
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...suitable for me. I know good dental hygiene is very significant throughout life. Helping others to accomplish strong dental hygiene is essential and a goal of mine. I feel this profession will provide me with a rewarding hands-on job and interaction with many individuals. Dental hygiene is a vigorous and challenging career that offers teamwork, personal growth, fulfillment, extraordinary benefits and it is the perfect career envisioned for me. With background knowledge as a licensed expanded function dental assistant, the dental hygienist is a valuable member of the dental team providing patient care. Qualities essential for a good dental hygienist include compassion and the ability to communicate well with others, two qualities that fit my personality. I love the thought of knowing that I have made a positive impact upon an individual’s health. I work as an expanded function dental assistant at an office in Jonestown, so I understand what it takes to become a dental hygienist....
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...account for 75% of all acquired infections in the acute care hospital setting. These are surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (Nassof, 2009). Urinary tract infections comprise the highest percentage (Paterson, 2012). These infections usually are spread by the contaminated hands of healthcare providers or the patient’s family members. They are also caused by contaminated surfaces or hospital equipment that has not been properly cleaned (Nassof, 2009). The rate of exposure to infectious materials could be reduced if healthcare providers adhered to certain standard precautions such as hand hygiene. The proposal for this nursing research utilization project is to educate nurses on the importance of hand hygiene using evidence base protocol and how they can implement it in order to prevent nosocomial infections. Most if not all healthcare providers sometime in their career fail to wash their hands. Regardless of staff views on hand washing, research evidence-based studies confirm that hand washing is the most important way healthcare providers can prevent the spread of infection...
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...Hand Hygiene Compliance in Health Providers Grand Canyon University: NRS 433 11/17/13 The purpose of this article “The impact of workload on hygiene compliance in nursing” was to shade some light and reveal some of the findings the researchers come across during the previous questions posed. They wanted to know the reasons why nurses are noncompliant when it comes to hand hygiene. The study lasted twelve-month during which time the staff were observed in a hospital setting in six different settings. The researchers were set to find out the leading causes of nursing staff noncompliance with hand washing while hospital acquired infections were on the rise. Researchers surveyed multiple units in a large hospital and concluded the following the result as recorded. All staff members were interviewed and monitored by the same interviewer for consistency and accuracy. The interviewer then placed each subject in a category as compliant or noncompliant and the subsequent reason for such a placement was noted. Next the observer proceed to observe the participants in their normal environment while they were performing their routine duties, subjects were chosen at random without announcement to be studied. The evaluation consisted of 181 participants, it was divided into seven groups. The categories varied from nurses who did not performed proper hand washing because of the time restraint all the way to those who spoke up when they see another coworker...
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...theories used in this study to create a conceptual framework are Herzberg Two factor theory, Goal Theory, and the circular theory of communication. The concept is that when hygiene and motivator factors are high, goals can be developed, but can only be effective only if the message was disseminated effectively. The study uses quantitative research on service and manufacturing employees. They were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire with ranking questions and some open-ended questions. The study found that there were only slight differences in the motivator factors for both set of respondents but there service employees are higher in hygiene. Both industries, however, see communication as an important factor in motivation. However, they only experience high hygiene, but less motivator, which means that they are not fully motivated. It has been suggested that the companies of the employees surveyed should invest on improving the motivator factors within the working environment and improve communication flows. CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND This study examines the importance of communication on the performance and motivation of employees. The target samples of the study are employees from service and manufacturing companies. This allows seeing the importance of organizational communication in two different angles – that is the difference between the views of service and manufacturing companies regarding the matter. Comparison...
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...In nursing, reflection enhances one’s learning by reflecting back to an experience or situation that involved nursing care. Keeping that thought in mind, I shall reflect on an experience that I had during a simulation and analyse the practises used and should have used while encountering a patient. With the use of Borton’s (1970) work, I will be structuring my reflection based on the three ‘what’ model. Before proceeding, I shall raise the issue of confidentiality which is stated in the NMC code (2008) to respect people’s right to confidentiality therefore, the patient mentioned in this reflection will be referred to as Mrs. R. The simulation took place in a university clinical setting where we worked as a pair to observe vital signs of a patient named Mrs. R who was 50 years old and wanted to check on her health. I agreed on taking the patient’s respiration and pulse rate whilst blood pressure and temperature was taken by my colleague. We started off the assessment by disinfecting our hands before encountering the patient; introducing ourselves as student nurses then gaining consent as people’s right to accept or decline treatment and care is to be respected (NMC code 2008). My colleague and I took turns to take observations as we were only allocated 10 minutes to complete, gather and assess the information obtained. After the simulation we were given feedback on what went well and what could have been better. Since it was my first approach with a patient, I was very nervous...
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...Hand-hygiene and its importance in health care practice Presented by Ynotte Boatswain 10/28/2012 NRS-433V Grand Canyon University Professor: Jesy Chua The problems as seen in many hospitals today in the United States of America are the amount of hospital acquired infections (HAI’s) among patients and it cost to health care system and patients as a result of improper or poor hand hygiene. Many studies conducted by various researches such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Center of Disease Control (CDC), National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) between 1989 to present day by various authors who shows that hand hygiene plays a major role in controlling HAI’s and the cost of treatment with the amount of patients affected yearly. “ Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” The goal is that the field of infection control can and should be the leader in understanding how research findings can be efficiency and effectively translated into clinical practice, Goethe. How can hand-hygiene improve patient’s outcomes, improved patient’s satisfaction and how does poor hand-hygiene impacted the health care system, patient’s family life and many institutions. Many researchers used mixed...
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...Clean Hands save Lives Anna Tutunzhiu 6/5/16 Grant Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS – 427V Clean Hands Save Lives Clean hands play a major role in disease prevention and health maintenance. Researchers in London estimated that if everyone religiously practices washing their hands, one million of deaths can be prevented every year (CDC, 2013). Washing our hands appropriately before handling food helps to prevent food borne disease outbreaks and illnesses. History states that hand washing for the first time was introduced by Hungarian obstetrician Ignaz P. Semmelweiss in 1847. He demonstrated that hand washing tremendously decreased the infection number in newborns and he tried to introduce this practice to his colleagues, but they got so “offended that they committed him to an insane asylum” (B4 Brands, 2014, p.1). Fortunately, these days, health care representatives can freely increase people’s awareness and encourage individuals to promote healthy behaviors for all ages. Therefore, everyone is entitled to promote their health by practicing proper hand hygiene. According to statistics, 80% of communicable diseases are spread by touching food, and then the mouth, eyes or nose since contaminated hands spread foodborne illnesses: Salmonella, E-Coli, Staph and diarrheal infection (B4 Brands, 2014). The Virginia Department of Health...
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...Infections in Relation to Poor Hand Hygiene Hospital acquired infections is an all too real and current issue. It is also highly preventable through the simple action of hand hygiene. Hand hygiene is a vital part of the hospital system to ensure the continuum of health. The number of professional health care staff who is not abiding by the governing policies on hand hygiene is alarming. It is an issue that is particularly relevant to nurses as they are in constant contact with patients, more so than any other health care professional. This paper shall address the topic of hospital acquired infections in relation to the lack of hand washing and poor hand hygiene. It shall hence be explored the reason behind the issues existence. Background Modern infection control is grounded in the work of Ignaz Semelweis who, in the late 1840’s demonstrated the importance of hand hygiene for controlling transmission of infection (Pittet, Allegrazi, & Boyce, 2009) and reduced mortality rate related to hospital acquired infections (Mortell, 2012). Hand hygiene has become an integral part of our culture. Hand washing is taught at every level of school, advocated in the workplace, and emphasized during nursing, medical, and paramedic training programs. The primary objective of hand hygiene recommendations has always been to reduce pathogen transmission and hospital acquired infections which, in turn, should reduce patient morbidity and mortality (Mortell, 2012). Hand Hygiene has been recognized and...
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...Background Hand washing and hand hygiene are consider to be the number one, cheap essential measure of preventing and controlling spread of hospital acquired infections (HAIs). Hand washing and hygiene can significantly reduce the burden of disease, in particular in hospitalized patient Unfortunately compliance to hand hygiene recommended standard procedures by the health care workers (HCWs) has been unacceptably poor. In order to design education program, identification of several risk factors associated with poor hand hygiene (HH) compliance is of extreme importance. Objective: The purpose of this study is to implement a hand hygiene program for increase compliance with hand hygiene among health care worker in 97 beds hospital. The key target for compliance to HH is not only health-care workers but also policy-makers and organizational leaders and managers. Methods.: Compliance to hand hygiene will be evaluated through direct observation of HCWs ,to helps pinpoint areas of strength or weaknesses in HH behavior, so as to develop training program that will help HCWs to complaint with HH . Evaluation will be based on direct observation and survey audit, observing the HCWs during routine patient care to ensure that hands hygiene are performed before and after getting in contact with patient and patient environment. In addition, survey audit based on the HCWs perception, knowledge and attitude, including patient and family observation of HCWs about hand hygiene. Intervention...
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...this research project is my own work. I have to do the best of my knowledge acknowledged all authors or sources from where I got information. I further declare that this work has not been submitted in any university or institution for the award of a degree or any of its equivalents. Signed…………………………………………..date………./……………/………………. APPROVAL This is to acknowledge that this research project has been submitted with my approval. Signed…………………………..Date………………/……………./……………… Dr TOMBOLA M.Gustave, PhD DEDICATION To the beloved members of my family, colleagues and friends. ACKNOWLEDMENTS This thesis is yet another landmark achievement in my academic history. Yet, truth be told, I believe the completion of the same would not be possible it had to be for the incessant and unconditional help from different persons, physical and moral. My highest appreciation goes to my beloved mother Mrs. palacidia UWIZEYIMANA and my former headmaster, Etienne UWAGIWABO, my uncles, my friends Philip NSENGUWERA, Felix BIZINDA, brother and sisters for all the support and encouragement. I also appreciate the government of Rwanda for the support of financing my studies and Rwanda Tourism University College for the academic supports. Heartfelt thanks go to Dr TOMBOLA M. Gustave,PhD who devoted his precious time to the supervision of this work. His continuous suggestions, critics...
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...Improving Hand Hygiene through Education Danielle Pizzoferrato NUR/598- Nursing Research Utilization February 10, 2014 Professor Maria Revell Improving Hand Hygiene through Education Section C: Research Support There has been a plethora of research compiled in regards to hand hygiene and infection control. This research has been the driving force behind evidenced based practice for years and has helped revolutionize effective infection control methods. There are still many gaps to be filled. One of the biggest happens to be improving compliance rates among hand hygiene. This has been classified as a problem, but there is not a large array of research on specific interventions. One of the interventions that have been put under the microscope is the effect that education plays on change behavior to increase hand hygiene compliance. The following research articles emphasize this intervention. Article 1 The first article was entitled “Increasing Hand Hygiene Compliance Requires Culture Change” written by Treon, Kelley, Kneebone, and Miles (2007). The purpose of this research focused on designing an innovative educational intervention to increase overall awareness of infection control practices, and to increase overall hand hygiene compliance. The research question proposed was looking to determine if education can cause change behavior and increase hand hygiene adherence. The design of this research consisted of both qualitative and quantitative research providing a blended...
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