Homework Help | Enhancing Quality and Safety – healthcare associated associated infections

For this assessment, develop a 3-5 page paper that examines a safety quality issue pertaining to medication administration in a health care setting. You will analyze the issue and examine potential evidence-based and best-practice solutions from the literature as well as the role of nurses and other stakeholders in addressing the issue.

MODEL ANSWER

Enhancing Quality and Safety

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections refer to the infections that people get while receiving care for another pre-existing condition. Pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses are responsible for causing the HAIs in various healthcare facilities such as ambulatory surgical centers, long term care facilities, hospitals, and end-stage renal disease facilities. Some of the commonly reported HAIs include catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, surgical site infections, and central line-associated | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | show that HAIs are a common problem in the healthcare industry since 1 in every 25 inpatients suffers from one type of HAI or | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | consequences not only on the patient and hospital but on the government as well. In the case of the patients, they have to contend with a lengthened stay at the hospital, increased medical | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | and medical staff lose the confidence of their patients, which is necessary when running any facility in a community. The government, on the other hand, loses millions and even billions of dollars annually as they try to combat and stop the infections.

Risk Factors for HAIs

Every patient is at risk of developing nosocomial infections, however, several factors make that increase the chances of | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | is the patient’s characteristics, such as their age, underlying conditions, and their immune system. Older patients and individuals with serious underlying conditions tend to have a vulnerable immune system, which makes them more likely to be diagnosed with nosocomial infections than other patients | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | to consider is the length of the patient’s stay in the facility, the longer they stay the higher the chances of developing nosocomial | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | is the presence of invasive or indwelling medical devices such as breathing tubes and catheters. The fourth risk factor is the constant use of antibiotics, which helps in the development and growth of antibiotic-resistant | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | can develop HAIs from complications in the surgical procedures, such as the improper cleaning of the wound, and a lack of the necessary precautionary measures.  

Solutions

There are several solutions that healthcare facilities and nurses can employ to help reduce and prevent HAIs among their patients. The easiest and most important tactic is constant hand | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | of the medical staff are the vehicles by which the disease-causing microorganisms are transmitted from one patient | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | and healthcare staff believe that they are upholding this principle as they should, there may be certain aspects that they may be ignoring, such as the duration of handwashing needed to kill any pathogens they may have (Bashar, 2019). Poor hand washing practices are mostly associated with an increased workload for the nurses and unavailability of sufficient hand decontaminating agents such as sprays, soaps, and | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | handwashing is not possible due to factors such as a lack of clean water, or enough supplies, then alcoholic hand disinfection is an efficient solution to the | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | hand washing, nurses could also take the precautionary measure of wearing protective gear such as gloves, gowns, and masks when handling the patients. The use of gloves should not supplement the washing of hands, since there are some instances of microbial infection despite having gloves. Single-use gloves should not be washed or disinfected and should be changed after each patient | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | of gowns helps keep infectious materials off the nurse’s clothing, and hence the gowns should be changed after each patient…