Health Care-Associated Infection Analysis

Patients come to healthcare care organizations in the hope that they will receive services that will treat or alleviate their illnesses. However, in reality, many health care organizations do not often live up to the expectation of patients and their families. As a result, patients end up acquiring new infections while receiving treatment for their existing illnesses. The new infection then further complicate their disease and aggravate their agony. The purpose of this essay is, therefore, to describe the nursing leadership moral, legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the needless suffering of patients from HCAIs.

Health Care-associated Infections (HCAIs) not only complicate patients’ illness but also, it increases the financial burden

on them and their families. Mathai, Allegranzi, Kilpatrick, and Pittet (2010) stated, “in addition to increased morbidity and mortality, these infections contribute significantly to the financial burden borne by patients, their families, and the healthcare system” (p.100).
Nurse leaders are essential to a health care organization’s success in quality and patient safety because nurses are the largest personnel in any health care organizations. For instance, in the nursing units where nurses are adequately staffed, nurses’ work with the reasonable patient loads and under such an environment, which is safe for both patients and nurses, CHAIS is minimal. So, nurse leaders play a pivotal role in increasing the quality of patient care and in preventing HCAIs. The success of nursing leadership is there for related to positive patient outcomes. In large healthcare organizations, nursing leaders alone cannot change the culture of patient care. Thus, other health care leaders should stand with the nursing leadership on equal footing able to work with the nursing leaders. And for that to occur, leaders in the healthcare organization should be respected, trusted, and give the nursing leader the power to influence decision-making that affects patient care positively in their organizations (Ledlow & Coppola, 2012).