For example when assisting a service user to have a bath, shower or to use the toilet you must always wear the PPE (personal protective equipment) provided when removing any soiled clothing you must dispose of it in the correct way using the sluice bags that are provided and the sluice bags should be tided shut thus preventing any infection among other service users clothes. Any PPE used should be disposed of in the room you have used and before leaving that room employees must ensure they wash their hands using the correct hand washing method displayed. Another responsibility employees have is to prepare and maintain environment before and after patient care making sure all PPE is worn if there are any bodily fluids in the room i.e. on the floor sink etc this spiliage should be cleaned up immediately using the appropriate disinfectant cleaning products to prevent any infection spreading such as MRSA, C Diff and the norovirus. Q: 1.2 Explain employers’ respsonsibilitys in relation to the prevention and control of infection.
Hand hygiene is the single most important method of preventing and controlling infection. The hands normally have a "resident" population of micro-organisms. Other micro-organisms are picked up during every-day activities, and these are termed "transient" organisms. Many infection control problems are caused by these transient organisms. Hand washing with soap & warm water should remove these transient organisms before they are transferred to surfaces, another patient or to a susceptible area on the same patient.
How to Properly Wash Your Hands March 7, 2012 It may be hard to believe that something as simple as regular hand washing can make a difference in a family’s health, but proper hand washing can have a big impact on a family’s risk for getting sick. Even though most people know to wash their hands, most do not know how to wash properly. Knowing when to wash, preparation, washing, and drying are essential to the proper hand washing technique. Hand washing is easy to do and it is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness. As one touches people, surfaces, and objects throughout the day, germs accumulate on ones hands.
(www.legislations.gov.uk, Accessed 04/10/13). Training cleaners on how to clean up after the previous patient properly and how the cups and plates should be put away, stops harm because if the cleaners had more training and cleaned up properly, there would be less infection being spread as there would be less bacteria around the ward. It also maintains the respect and dignity that should be provided for the patients that are cared for. If the recommendation was not reached, patients would be harmed by catching viruses and infection. In this case, if a patient in the ward was to catch one off these infections from dirty cups, it would be harder for them to recover due to them being elderly and having a lower immune system than someone that was young and healthy, so in some cases little infections like this from been given a dirty cup to drink from can sometimes lead to death.
Hand Washing Policy Hand Washing Policy Hand Washing is one of the most common tasks that nurses do throughout their day as they provide care for patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control, proper hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of infection. The policy for our unit was reviewed and then the process was observed. While observing, several common themes were seen that violates the hand washing policy. Policy Location and Procedure Our nursing policy is located on our hospital intranet.
INFECTION CONTROL IN A NURSING HOME. Infection Control refers to policies and procedures used to minimize the risk of spreading infections in hospitals and nursing homes. The purpose of infection control is to reduce the occurrence of infectious diseases. These diseases are usually carried by bacteria or viruses and can be spread by human to human contact. Can be spread by touch, coughs and colds, it is good practise to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and washing your hands after, disposing of any tissues in bins.
This essay will discuss the importance of hand washing and the significance of how something so fundamental as basic hand hygiene can, if not adhered to, can result in a HAI or nosocomial infection. Boyce and Pittet (2002) defined hand hygiene as “a general term that applies to either hand washing, antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub, or surgical hand antisepsis” and hand washing as “washing hands with plain (i.e. non-antimicrobial) soap and water.” For the purpose of this essay, hand hygiene refers to hand washing whether through the use of soap, or antiseptic hand wash or hand rub. The importance of hand washing can be traced back to the mid-1800s when Ignaz P.Semmelweiss demonstrated that hand washing decreased the potential for cross-infection and thus preventing the cross-transmission of microorganisms (Semmelweiss, 1861). These microorganisms can be separated into either a resident bacteria (not easily removed by hand washing) or transient bacteria (not part of the normal flora and represent recent contamination).
“Make sure appropriate hand hygiene is used. Meticulous infection prevention precautions are required to prevent infections, with particular attention to hand hygiene and standard precautions” (Ackley & Ladwig, 2011, pg. 492). The nurse should also teach the patient what the signs and symptoms of infection are. “Teach the patient and family the symptoms of infection that should be promptly reported to a primary medical caregiver” (Ackley & Ladwig, 2011, pg.
There is without doubt, that these factors have set a foundation to promote a safe hand hygiene practice without guessing when and where to decontaminate. The transmissions of microorganism from one patient to another via (through) the hands, or from patient’s hands that has been decontaminated may result in adverse clinical outcomes. Overviews of epidemiological evidence concluded that hand mediated transmissions is the major contributing factor in the current infection threats to these infection includes staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and multi-resistant Gram –negative organism (MRSA), such as Acinetobacter SPP and Vancomycin- resistant enterococci (VRE). There is also a imminent threat to
Health and Safety 1) Identify tasks relating to health and safety that should only be carried out with special training _ First Aid Administering medication Health and safety procedures Food handling and preparation 2) Describe how to access additional support and information relating to health and safety- Work – based training HSE British Safety Council European Commission Department of health Care Quality Commission Skills for care 3) Explain the most thorough method for hand washing – Recommended method for hand washing is following the Department of Health 5-step recommended procedure a) Wet hands b) Apply soap thoroughly c) Lather and scrub (remember between the fingers, thumbs and backs of hands) d) Rinse thoroughly e) Dry thoroughly using paper towel or air dryer 4) Describe when to use different types of personal protective equipment – Protection from respiratory impact, Sharps dangerous body fluids chemicals and splashing liquids. 5) Identify hazardous substances that may be found in the social care setting – Clinical waste Germs that cause disease Materials that are harmful/ potentially infectious Body fluids 6) Describe safety practises for hazardous substances – a) Storing : always follow agreed ways of working, policies and procedures, safe storage of hazardous substances and meterials, stored out of reach, store materials in containers recommended by the manufacturer, importance of clear labelling, containers securely sealed, storing incompatible substances separately. b) Usage: always follow agreed ways of working, policies and procedures, avoid exposure to hazardous substances (inhaling, contact with the skin or eyes, swallowing or skin punctures) use of control measures, use protective clothing where necessary, importance of checking with colleagues and completing