The Infection Prevention and Control Team is responsible for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in the healthcare environment. They provide advice and information about what measures need to be taken to reduce the risk of infection. They work along healthcare staff, patients and visitors, providing the infection prevention program. The Infection Prevention and Control Team consists of Assistant Director of Nursing, Consultant Microbiologists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Surveillance Scientists, an Antimicrobial Pharmacists, Medical Laboratory Scientists in Microbiology and Registrars (HSE, 2017).
Consultant Microbiologists are doctors, who manage, diagnose, prevent and treat infections and infection diseases. They are experts who advice how to prevent and manage healthcare-associated infections i.e. wound infections, Clostridium difficile or MRSA. They work in team with infection control nurse specialists, laboratory and
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Clinical Nurse assist in surveillance, help in establishing procedures to reduce occurrence of infections; working with other members of the infection control team, wards and departments to control if the Infection Prevention & Control policies are implemented; take up actions if they are needed; take part in audits; educate and carry training programmes (NHS, 2015).
Medical Laboratory Scientists in Microbiology are biomedical scientists who study samples taken from human body. They help in patient diagnosis and treatment, as well as in disease monitoring or prevention. They work in laboratories and preform many types of tests on blood or body fluids. In large hospital laboratories they specialise in different medical laboratory sciences i.e. medical microbiology, clinical chemistry, transfusion science, haematology, cytology, immunology and virology (NHS,
Kleinpell RM, Munro CL, Giuliano KK. Targeting Health Care–Associated Infections: Evidence-Based Strategies. In: Hughes RG, editor. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008 Apr. Chapter 42. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2632/
"Registered nurses have a variety of tasks to take care of daily. RNs keep records, administer medication, consult with other healthcare providers, monitor patients and educate individuals and family. RNs must also stay up to date with new technology." (Rasmussen College). These abilities help nurses provide the best patient care and support for their families and the best support to doctors and other healthcare specialists involved in the care of the patients. RN responsibilities are different depending on what you know or were taught but often include patient care, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), acute care, case management, and treatment planning. Besides medical skills that can be learned through a nursing program, nurses must also have a blend of known taught skills such as active listening, critical thinking, social skills, and decision making skills are all very important for nurses. "Registered nurses have numerous job duties that put them in the forefront of the medical field. They not only provide patient care but also help educate patients and their families about health care and specific situations." (Nurse Journal Social Community for Nurses Worldwide). Registered nurses help tremendously for their workplace and also they do not just work at a hospital setting. Common duties handled by an RN include administering medication or
...s and measurement to decrease healthcare- associated infections. American Journal Of Infection Control, pp. S19-S25. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2012.02.008.
Martin, M., Fulford, M., & Preston, T. (2009). Infection Control for the Dental Team. London: Quintessence Publishing Co.
(2014) shed light on two key components for infection control, which includes protecting patients from acquiring infections and protecting health care workers from becoming infected (Curchoe et al., 2014). The techniques that are used to protect patients also provide protection for nurses and other health care workers alike. In order to prevent the spread of infections, it is important for health care workers to be meticulous and attentive when providing care to already vulnerable patients (Curchoe et al., 2014). If a health care worker is aware they may contaminate the surroundings of a patient, they must properly clean, disinfect, and sterilize any contaminated objects in order to reduce or eliminate microorganisms (Curchoe et al., 2014). It is also ideal to change gloves after contact with contaminated secretions and before leaving a patient’s room (Curchoe, 2014). Research suggests that due to standard precaution, gloves must be worn as a single-use item for each invasive procedure, contact with sterile sites, and non-intact skin or mucous membranes (Curchoe et al., 2014). Hence, it is critical that health care workers change gloves during any activity that has been assessed as carrying a risk of exposure to body substances, secretions, excretions, and blood (Curchoe et al.,
Prevention of hospital-acquired infections: review of non-pharmacological interventions. Journal of Hospital Infection, 69(3), 204-219. Revised 01/20 Haugen, N., Galura, S., & Ulrich, S. P. (2011). Ulrich & Canale's nursing care planning guides: Prioritization, delegation, and critical thinking. Maryland Heights, Mo. : Saunders/Elsevier.
128) For the purpose of discussing models of nursing theory in healthcare we will limit the above definition from “trained and licensed professionals” to “nursing professionals.” What then is a clinical nurse? By definition, a nurse is an individual working with the purpose of protecting and promoting the health of the individual for which they are caring. This includes prevention of illness, alleviation of suffering and the advocacy of care. (Nursing World, 2014) The role of a professional nurse in the healthcare setting then is to uphold and reestablish the health of the patient through healing, therapy and disease prevention.
Infection control, a term that describes procedures taken to reduce the spread of infection. The dental office is a place where many people are treated including patients with infectious disease such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and many other highly contagious diseases. It is imperative that in any dental office setting the prevention of the spreading microorganisms from patient to patient, patient to staff, or staff to patient is done in high precaution. Infection control has two main objectives; to protect the patients from harmful pathogens as well as dental team members. Infections can cause or add pain, deteriorate a persons health, and in worst cases even result in death. In order to understand the infection control in a dental facility, you must understand the standard precautions required by organizations that regulate or recommend infection control, the kinds of preventive measures taken, as well as when these measures should be taken.
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.
Many university English teachers are asking a big question, should they incorporate more group projects, or other ways besides writing papers? In the article, "Applying Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom" Fred and Meolody Lunenburg explain Howard Gardner 's ' theory of multiple intelligences. His theory addresses that we do not just possess verbal/linguistic and mathematical/logical intelligence, but that we all possess a total of nine different intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential.(Lunenburg and Lunenburg) Gardener believes by lecturing multiple intelligences to students, they can excel academically. For example, "Teachers can enhance
They test many types of samples in the lab such as skin or body fluids like blood and urine. Lab techs have the responsibility to not only perform the test but to record the results and get the results where they need to be. Blood tests can indicate many different conditions such as a hormone imbalance or blood type. This is very important because if someone receives a blood type that is not compatible with their own blood, the patient could die. Skin and tissue samples can also lead to a diagnosis. They can run tests to see if a sample reacts to something or doesn’t react to something. This is how the lab tech helps to diagnose.
The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Program is an essential force maximizing quality, patient centered care, and safety throughout the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). The VANTHCS “... is a progressive health care provider in the heart of Texas ... we serve more than 117,000 Veterans and deliver 1.4 million outpatient episodes of care each year to Veterans in 38 Texas counties and two counties in southern Oklahoma” (“VA North Texas,” 2016, para. 1). The purpose of the IPC Program is to guide a facility-wide approach toward identifying, preventing, controlling, and eliminating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This approach is facilitated through infection control (IC) practitioner’s role-modeling behaviors of assessing, supporting, guiding, and/or directing healthcare providers (HCPs) in the application of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prevent HAIs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HAIs are often preventable adverse events that pose a major threat to patient safety (“Centers for Disease,” 2016). As a result, IC practitioners recognize the importance of preparing nurse faculty to engage clinical staff in the application of EBPs to prevent infections.
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
Avoiding infection or, at least, breaking the chain of transmission is vital in any setting, but more so in healthcare environments where infections and vulnerable hosts are moving under the same roof. What needs to be done, then?
They perform physical exams when someone needs released to return to work, school, and sports. They perform health histories so a patient knows what his or her health backgrounds are and what they are capable of inheriting. Nurses provide health promotions, counseling, and education. They give health promotions through schools, after checkups, and before you are released from the hospital. They give counseling when a patient is struggling to becoming healthy after a long term sickness. Nurses can provide education through school courses for anyone who is interesting in pursuing a nursing degree. They interpret a patient’s information and makes critical decisions with the doctor. They can direct and supervise care delivered by other healthcare personnel. If a nurse is a registered nurse (RN), then they are in charge of the lower nurse ranks such as LPNs (licensed practical nurses) and nurse aides. Nurse also conduct research in support of improved practice and a patient’s outcome. Nurses are so compassionate for others, that they will everything in their power to find some sort of treatment that can offer a patient a chance to be cured