NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
Capella University NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit– Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Capella University NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Capella University NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
The introduction for the Capella University NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.
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How to Write the Body for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
After the introduction, move into the main part of the NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Sample Answer for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
Medication Administration Errors (MAEs) have been identified as a major threat to patient safety in the hospital, especially in the inpatient medical units. The MAEs in the medical unit have significantly affected patients due to resultant adverse drug events (ADEs), which lead to prolonged hospital stays, morbidity, mortality, and increased medical costs. The proposed safety improvement is a self-reporting program for MAEs. Reporting of MAEs will promote the implementation of appropriate medical interventions to mitigate the effects of the error. The purpose of this assignment is to present an autobiography of scholarly resources to guide in implementing the proposed plan. The resources will help implement the plan in three themes: Common Medication Errors that should be Reported, Barriers to Self-Reporting, and Implementing MAE Reporting.
Annotated Bibliography
Common Medication Errors that Should be Reported
Wondmieneh, A., Alemu, W., Tadele, N., & Demis, A. (2020). Medication administration errors and contributing factors among nurses: a cross-sectional study in tertiary hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Nursing, 19, 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-0397-0
The article evaluates the magnitude and factors contributing to MAEs among nurses in tertiary care hospitals. It identifies causative factors such as inadequate training, lack of medication administration guidelines, inadequate work experience, and interruption during drug administration. The article can help identify the probable causes of MAEs in the organization and guide the implementation team in addressing them. The resource is valuable in reducing MAEs since it recommends providing continuous training on safe medication administration, developing and availing a medication administration guideline, and creating an enabling environment for nurses to administer medication safely. Therefore, it can be applied when identifying actions to take when there is an increased number of reported MAEs.
Yousef, A. M., Abu-Farha, R. K., & Abu-Hammour, K. M. (2021). Detection of medication administration errors at a tertiary hospital using a direct observation approach. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 17(3), 433–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2021.08.015
The study examines the prevalence, types, and severity of MAEs and the factors linked with the incidence of MAEs. It identifies that adherence errors are the most frequent MAEs, followed by incorrect drug preparation, and MAEs occur more frequently in non-intravenous administration. The resource can help nurses identify how they are likely to perpetrate MAEs and in what types of medication administration. The article can help reduce MAEs by recommending continuous awareness and education campaigns for nurses on the importance of proper and safe drug administration. It can thus be applied in planning the measures to prevent the recurrence of MAEs after they are reported.
Assunção-Costa, L., Costa de Sousa, I., Alves de Oliveira, M. R., Ribeiro Pinto, C., Machado, J. F. F., Valli, C. G., & de Souza, L. E. P. F. (2022). Drug administration errors in Latin America: A systematic review. Plos one, 17(8), e0272123. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272123
The article examines the frequency and nature of MAEs. The common errors in medication administration identified in the article are wrong time, dose, omission, and administration route. The resource can be helpful to the team that will be involved in implementing the self-reporting program for MAEs. It will help the team to understand what constitutes medication administration errors so that all errors can be recognized and identified. The article is valuable in reducing the risk to patient safety caused by MAEs since it makes providers conscious of errors they may perpetrate when administering medications and identify them when they occur. The resource can enlighten health providers about examples of MAEs to help them understand what events they should report.
Mohammed, T., Mahmud, S., Gintamo, B., Mekuria, Z. N., & Gizaw, Z. (2022). Medication administration errors and associated factors among nurses in Addis Ababa federal hospitals, Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 12(12), e066531. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066531
The article evaluates the magnitude and factors contributing to MAEs among nurses in federal hospitals. It identifies that MAEs occur in the following ways: wrong patient, wrong medication, wrong dose, wrong route, wrong time, wrong drug preparation, wrong advice, wrong assessment, and wrong documentation. The resource can help the implementation team when educating nurses on the type of MAEs and the incidences they should report. The article is valuable in promoting patient safety since it identifies common causes of MAEs perpetrated by nurses. This can be used to identify evidence-based measures that can be implemented to address the causes of reported MAEs.
Barriers to Self-Reporting
Afaya, A., Konlan, K. D., & Kim Do, H. (2021). Improving patient safety through identifying barriers to reporting medication administration errors among nurses: an integrative review. BMC Health Services Research, 21, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07187-5
The article identifies and assesses the barriers limiting nurses from reporting MAEs in the hospital setting. It identifies organizational barriers like inadequate reporting systems, management behavior, unclear definition of a medication error, and individual barriers like fear of management/lawsuit and inadequate knowledge of MAE. The resource is valuable to the implementation team in identifying factors that may hinder nurses from reporting errors. The article proposed measures to address the barriers, such as providing an enabling environment without punitive measures and blame. This can be used to encourage nurses in the organization to report MAEs.
Nkurunziza, A., Chironda, G., Mukeshimana, M., Uwamahoro, M. C., Umwangange, M. L., & Ngendahayo, F. (2019). Factors contributing to medication administration errors and barriers to self-reporting among nurses: a review of literature. Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2(3), 294-303. https://doi.org/10.4314/rjmhs.v2i3.14
The resource assesses the contributing factors linked to MAEs and barriers to reporting among nurses. It identifies heavy workload as the main factor contributing to MAEs and fear of blame as the main barrier to self-reporting. Thus, the article can help the implementation team understand the primary factors contributing to MAEs and those limiting self-reporting so that they can be addressed before executing the plan. The resource promotes patient safety by recommending that organizations address heavy workloads to decrease MAEs and foster a non-punitive environment to encourage self-reporting of MAEs. It can be applied when identifying measures to reduce the number of reported MAEs and increase voluntary reporting.
Bovis, J. L., Edwin, J. P., Bano, C. P., Tyraskis, A., Baskaran, D., & Karuppaiah, K. (2018). Barriers to staff reporting adverse incidents in NHS hospitals. Future healthcare journal, 5(2), 117–120. https://doi.org/10.7861/futurehosp.5-2-117
The article examines barriers to reporting adverse incidents (AIs). It identified that most providers fail to report AIs because of poor response or failure to receive feedback from previous reports. The resource can help the implementation team understand that giving constructive feedback is crucial once a nurse has reported an MAE. The article found that training and feedback after reporting are two main factors that can improve confidence in and use of AI reporting. The resource can be applied when identifying ways to increase nurses’ confidence in MAE reporting.
Mohamed, M. F., Abubeker, I. Y., Al-Mohanadi, D., Al-Mohammed, A., Abou-Samra, A. B., & Elzouki, A. N. (2021). Perceived Barriers of Incident Reporting Among Internists: Results from Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar. Avicenna Journal of Medicine, 11(03), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1734386
The article examines the practice and identifies the barriers linked to incident reporting among internal medicine physicians. It identifies the main barriers to reporting incidents: unawareness of incidence reporting, the perception that incidence reporting will not contribute to a system change, and the fear of retaliation. The resource will aid the implementation team in understanding barriers that may limit nurses from reporting MAEs. This will guide them in identifying strategies to mitigate these barriers before implementing the plan and encourage error reporting. Besides, the resource can be used when error reporting has declined to establish the likely causes.
Implementing MAE Reporting
Mutair, A. A., Alhumaid, S., Shamsan, A., Zaidi, A. R. Z., Mohaini, M. A., Al Mutairi, A., … & Al-Omari, A. (2021). The effective strategies to avoid medication errors and improving reporting systems. Medicines, 8(9), 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines8090046
The article discusses medication error reporting culture, incidence reporting systems, developing effective reporting methods, analysis of medication error reports, and recommendations to enhance medication error reporting systems. It provides valuable information to the MAE reporting program implementation team on how it can create effective reporting methods and improve reporting of MAEs when executing the plan. Besides, the resource is valuable in reducing MAEs since it recommends that health organizations create an effectual reporting environment for the medication use process. The resource can be used in creating a successful medication error reporting program that is safe for the reporter and includes all providers, leading to constructive and helpful recommendations and effective changes.
Linden-Lahti, C., Takala, A., Holmström, A. R., & Airaksinen, M. (2021). What Severe Medication Errors Reported to Health Care Supervisory Authority Tell About Medication Safety? Journal of patient safety, 17(8), e1179–e1185. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000914
The study examined reported severe medication errors (MEs) and assessed how incident documentation applies to learning from errors. The resource can provide insights to the implementation team that the reported MEs provide a valuable source of risk information. They should be used for learning and taking action to prevent severe errors in the future. The article is valuable in promoting patient safety since it recommends that organizations take action to improve medication safety and investigate reported errors to prevent recurrence.
Dhamanti, I., Leggat, S., Barraclough, S., & Tjahjono, B. (2019). Patient safety incident reporting in Indonesia: an analysis using World Health Organization characteristics for successful reporting. Risk management and healthcare policy, 331-338. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S222262
The study examined the level to which a patient safety incident reporting system has adhered to the WHO characteristics for successful reporting. The article will provide insights to the MAE reporting program team on the characteristics the hospital reporting system should have to meet the WHO criteria. The article explains the characteristics of an ideal program, including A non-punitive system, confidentiality, timeliness of reporting, expert analysis, system orientation, and responsiveness. Thus, the team should implement these for a successful self-reporting program to promote patient safety.
Woo, M. W. J., & Avery, M. J. (2021). Nurses’ experiences in voluntary error reporting: An integrative literature review. International journal of nursing sciences, 8(4), 453–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2021.07.004
The article examines nurses’ experiences with voluntary error reporting (VER) and the factors influencing their decision to participate in VER. It establishes that institutional efforts are crucial towards improving nurses’ recognition, reception, and contribution towards voluntary error reporting. The article can help the organization understand the measures it should take to encourage nurses and providers to report medication errors voluntarily. Nurse leaders can use this article tool to prioritize and invest in measures to improve existing organizational error management approaches and establish a just and open patient safety culture. This will promote a positive experience among nurses towards error reporting.
Conclusion
The annotated bibliography examines peer-reviewed articles focusing on MAEs. The articles discuss common MAEs, factors contributing to MAEs, barriers to self-reporting errors, and factors promoting successful self-reporting programs in hospital settings. The resources are valuable to the implementation team for the proposed self-reporting program for MAEs since they provide insights into the barriers they may face, how to address them, and how to foster the program’s success.
References
Afaya, A., Konlan, K. D., & Kim Do, H. (2021). Improving patient safety through identifying barriers to reporting medication administration errors among nurses: an integrative review. BMC Health Services Research, 21, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07187-5
Assunção-Costa, L., Costa de Sousa, I., Alves de Oliveira, M. R., Ribeiro Pinto, C., Machado, J. F. F., Valli, C. G., & de Souza, L. E. P. F. (2022). Drug administration errors in Latin America: A systematic review. Plos one, 17(8), e0272123. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272123
Bovis, J. L., Edwin, J. P., Bano, C. P., Tyraskis, A., Baskaran, D., & Karuppaiah, K. (2018). Barriers to staff reporting adverse incidents in NHS hospitals. Future healthcare journal, 5(2), 117–120. https://doi.org/10.7861/futurehosp.5-2-117
Dhamanti, I., Leggat, S., Barraclough, S., & Tjahjono, B. (2019). Patient safety incident reporting in Indonesia: an analysis using World Health Organization characteristics for successful reporting. Risk management and healthcare policy, 331-338. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S222262
Linden-Lahti, C., Takala, A., Holmström, A. R., & Airaksinen, M. (2021). What Severe Medication Errors Reported to Health Care Supervisory Authority Tell About Medication Safety? Journal of patient safety, 17(8), e1179–e1185. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000914
Mohamed, M. F., Abubeker, I. Y., Al-Mohanadi, D., Al-Mohammed, A., Abou-Samra, A. B., & Elzouki, A. N. (2021). Perceived Barriers of Incident Reporting Among Internists: Results from Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar. Avicenna Journal of Medicine, 11(03), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1734386
Mohammed, T., Mahmud, S., Gintamo, B., Mekuria, Z. N., & Gizaw, Z. (2022). Medication administration errors and associated factors among nurses in Addis Ababa federal hospitals, Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 12(12), e066531. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066531
Mutair, A. A., Alhumaid, S., Shamsan, A., Zaidi, A. R. Z., Mohaini, M. A., Al Mutairi, A., … & Al-Omari, A. (2021). The effective strategies to avoid medication errors and improving reporting systems. Medicines, 8(9), 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines8090046
Nkurunziza, A., Chironda, G., Mukeshimana, M., Uwamahoro, M. C., Umwangange, M. L., & Ngendahayo, F. (2019). Factors contributing to medication administration errors and barriers to self-reporting among nurses: a review of literature. Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2(3), 294-303. https://doi.org/10.4314/rjmhs.v2i3.14
Wondmieneh, A., Alemu, W., Tadele, N., & Demis, A. (2020). Medication administration errors and contributing factors among nurses: a cross-sectional study in tertiary hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Nursing, 19, 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-0397-0
Woo, M. W. J., & Avery, M. J. (2021). Nurses’ experiences in voluntary error reporting: An integrative literature review. International journal of nursing sciences, 8(4), 453–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2021.07.004
Yousef, A. M., Abu-Farha, R. K., & Abu-Hammour, K. M. (2021). Detection of medication administration errors at a tertiary hospital using a direct observation approach. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 17(3), 433–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2021.08.015
Sample Answer 2 for NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 4: Improvement Plan Tool Kit
Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant threat to patient safety, care quality, and health care costs. Among hospitalized patients, HAIs increase the risk of other infections besides prolonging hospital rates and health management costs (Peters et al., 2022). As a result, their identification and prevention should be prioritized in health care settings for improved health outcomes. Effective implementation of the appropriate interventions requires nursing professionals to understand the rationale and execution of different infection control measures. This improvement plan tool kit aims to empower nursing professionals in implementing and sustaining safety measures for preventing HAIs using infection control policy and planning. The tool kit has been organized into four broad themes with three resources under each.
Annotated Bibliography
Environmental Hygiene
Browne, K., & Mitchell, B. G. (2023). Multimodal environmental cleaning strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 12(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-023-01274-4
This article illustrates infection transmission as a multifaceted issue requiring a multidimensional intervention. As a complex issue, infection transmission involves interplay between a pathogen, a host, and their environment. In response, Browne and Mitchell (2023) evaluate the importance of environmental cleaning as a crucial component of the multifaceted infection control interventions for preventing HAIs. The authors discuss the importance of the Look, Plan, Clean and Dry technique for safe environments. The “Look” step involves visually assessing the environment, while “Plan” involves preparing an area before cleaning. The “Clean” step involves cleaning, wiping, and starting with sites nearest to the patient first. This resource is a valuable reference for nurses to understand what environmental cleaning entails as an infection control measure for HAIs. Nurses can use this resource to implement the Look-Plan-Clean-Dry technique and in instances where environmental cleaning is implemented together with other measures to reduce HAI incidence in hospitals.
Haque, M., McKimm, J., Sartelli, M., Dhingra, S., Labricciosa, F. M., Islam, S., Jahan, D., Nusrat, T., Chowdhury, T. S., Coccolini, F., Iskandar, K., Catena, F., & Charan, J. (2020). Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections: a narrative overview. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 13, 1765–1780. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S269315
This article describes the multimodal interventions essential for infection control and preventing in health care facilities. Among the various interventions described as effective in safety enhancement through infection control is environmental hygiene. According to Haque et al. (2020), maintaining strict environmental hygiene is crucial in preventing and controlling infections, particularly hospital-associated infections. Environmental hygiene is maintained by regularly cleaning and disinfecting hospital surfaces that are highly prone to microbial contamination. Such surfaces include bed rails, light switches, and mattresses. This article is a valuable resource for nurses to understand the importance of environmental hygiene in infection control and how to implement it. It describes porous and nonporous surfaces that should be the focus of environmental hygiene interventions to reduce the risk of HAIs significantly. Nurses can use it as a reference for environmental hygiene guidelines and when setting goals for HAI prevention for a safe workplace.
Leistner, R., Kohlmorgen, B., Brodzinski, A., Schwab, F., Lemke, E., Zakonsky, G., & Gastmeier, P. (2023). Environmental cleaning to prevent hospital-acquired infections on non-intensive care units: a pragmatic, single-centre, cluster randomized controlled, crossover trial comparing soap-based, disinfection and probiotic cleaning. EClinicalMedicine, 59, 101958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101958
Effective control and prevention of HAIs require clean environments. Depending on their size, resource availability, and the complexity of an issue, health care facilities can use different environmental hygiene measures. This resource evaluates the differences between three surface-cleaning strategies on the incidence of HAIs: soap-based, disinfectant, and probiotic agents. To determine their differences, Leistner et al. (2023) used each agent on one ward for four consecutive months. The authors found the three agents equally effective in HAI prevention and can be used jointly or interchangeably for optimal infection control. The resource is a comprehensive guideline for nurses to expand their knowledge of environmental hygiene to prevent HAIs via various agents. It explains how different surface-cleaning agents work and their effectiveness. Therefore, nurses can use the resource as a guideline for environmental cleaning and when implementing environmental hygiene policies for their respective workplaces.
Hand Hygiene Compliance
Boora, S., Singh, P., Dhakal, R., Victor, D., Gunjiyal, J., Lathwal, A., & Mathur, P. (2021). Impact of hand hygiene on hospital-acquired infection rate in neuro trauma ICU at a level 1 trauma center in the national capital region of India. Journal of laboratory physicians, 13(2), 148–150. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1730820
This article summarizes the findings of a prospective, observational study on the effectiveness of hand hygiene as an infection control mechanism in intensive care units (ICUs). Boora et al. (2021) demonstrate the hands of nursing staff as a leading cause of HAI transmission, implying that the risk could be reduced through compliance with hand hygiene. The authors associate a decline in hand hygiene compliance with an increase in HAIs in ICUs. They further discuss a tool for measuring hand hygiene compliance to ensure practices meet the expected standards. The article is a comprehensive resource for helping nurses to understand hand hygiene compliance and how to measure outcomes to ensure safe environments for patients in care facilities. Nurses can use it as a reference for implementing best practices in infection control through hand hygiene, during advocacy for safe workplaces, and when implementing health education programs.
Engdaw, G. T., Gebrehiwot, M., & Andualem, Z. (2019). Hand hygiene compliance and associated factors among health care providers in Central Gondar zone public primary hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 8(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-019-0634-z
Poor hand hygiene continues to risk patients and care providers in care facilities. This article summarizes the findings of a cross-sectional study on hand hygiene compliance and associated factors. The authors illustrate poor hand hygiene as a major source of health complications across the continuum of care, posing a significant threat to patients admitted to hospitals. In this study, Engdaw et al. (2019) found that overall hand hygiene among health care providers was poor. Effective measures for compliance improvement include professional training, providing nurses with adequate soap and water, and using alcohol-based hand rubs. The article is a valuable resource for nurses to improve their knowledge of hand compliance and the measures needed to achieve compliance. Nurses can use this resource when seeking more knowledge of infection control and when implementing hand hygiene measures to prevent HAIs in ICUs and other high-risk areas.
Mouajou, V., Adams, K., DeLisle, G., & Quach, C. (2022). Hand hygiene compliance in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections: a systematic review. The Journal of Hospital Infection, 119, 33–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2021.09.016
This article explores the critical role of healthcare workers (HCWs) in preventing hospital-associated infections through practicing hand hygiene and adhering to the established hand hygiene guidelines. The authors demonstrate noncompliance as a leading cause of infection transmission, increasing the risk of HAIs in hospitals. They further describe the extent to which lower HAI incidence rates are achieved by noting that hand hygiene compliance of approximately 60% is essential for risk reduction. This resource can help nurses to understand better the importance of compliance with hand hygiene practices in high-risk areas in care settings and how to achieve compliance. Reducing HAIs by optimal hand hygiene compliance is crucial for improved patient safety, high-quality care, and patient satisfaction. Therefore, nurses can use the article as a guideline for hand hygiene implementation in setting goals and evaluating outcomes.
Educational Interventions
Kakkar, S. K., Bala, M., & Arora, V. (2021). Educating nursing staff regarding infection control practices and assessing its impact on the incidence of hospital-acquired infections. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 10, 40. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_542_20
Health literacy is crucial for informed decision-making among patients and nursing professionals. This article evaluates the importance of an education and training program for nurses regarding infection control practices. The study was established on the principle that educating nurses improves compliance with the recommended infection control guidelines. Nurses were educated on infection control practices via an educational module. The authors found a decline in the incidence of HAIs, particularly IV line-related infections. The resource is a comprehensive summary of the importance of infection control knowledge for nurses and its importance in helping nurses comply with the established guidelines. Nurses can use it to improve their knowledge of infection control compliance and factors influencing outcomes. It can also be used to support education and training programs for nurses in high-risk environments.
Hammoud, S., Amer, F., Lohner, S., & Kocsis, B. (2020). Patient education on infection control: a systematic review. American Journal of Infection Control, 48(12), 1506-1515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2020.05.039
Infection control and prevention planning should be done collaboratively to achieve the desired results. In this article, Hammound et al. (2020) summarize the critical role of patient education in infection control and creating an informed patient population. The study is founded on the principle that patients and family members can help in infection control through active participation and education. The authors note that education on infection control should be on critical areas, such as infections, hand hygiene, isolation rationale, precautions, and how to use personal protective equipment. This resource can help nurses to understand how patients can be involved in infection control and prevention. It highlights the areas where patient education is crucial for patient engagement in safety enhancement and reducing HAIs. Nurses can use this resource as a reference when designing and implementing patient education programs focused on preventing HAIs.
Bayleyegn, B., Mehari, A., Damtie, D., & Negash, M. (2021). Knowledge, attitude and practice on hospital-acquired infection prevention and associated factors among healthcare workers at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Infection and Drug Resistance, 259-266. https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S290992
The creation of a safe health care environment free from infections depends on nurses’ knowledge and how they implement it. In this article, Bayleyegn et al. (2021) evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice among health care professionals and associated factors toward HAI prevention. They suggest that despite health care professionals’ knowledge of HAI prevention and sympathetic attitude, good knowledge does not translate into prudent practice. As a result, continuous education through on-job and off-job training and strict implementation of standard operational procedures are vital to empower nurses to engage in effective HAI control and prevention. The resource demonstrates the importance of knowledge improvement for nurses to implement good practices towards HAI prevention. Nurses can use it as a reference to support education programs and for self-knowledge on the link between their knowledge, attitudes, and best practices.
Risk Assessment and Patient Cohorts
Hopman, J., Meijer, C., Kenters, N., Coolen, J. P. M., Ghamati, M. R., Mehtar, S., … & Wertheim, H. F. L. (2019). Risk assessment after a severe hospital-acquired infection associated with carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. JAMA Netw Open 2: e187665. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.7665
The risk for HAIs varies with patients depending on their conditions, treatment procedures, and the condition of the care environment. In this article, Hopman et al. (2019) evaluate the importance of risk assessment after a severe hospital-acquired infection. The authors note that health care providers should rethink the hospital-built environment as a leading source of infection transmission. Risk areas, including shower drains and sewage systems, are identified as critical focus areas for preventing severe and lethal HAIs. The resource helps nurses understand the importance of risk assessment and risk areas as far as the hospital-built environment is concerned. Nurses can use it as a guideline for risk assessment and when developing infection control plans for high-risk areas.
Kim, B. G., Kang, M., Lim, J., Lee, J., Kang, D., Kim, M., … & Jeon, K. (2022). Comprehensive risk assessment for hospital-acquired pneumonia: sociodemographic, clinical, and hospital environmental factors associated with the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 22, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-021-01816-9
Understanding the extent of risk for HAIs helps health care providers to formulate effective infection control measures. In this study, Kim et al. (2022) evaluate the general groupings of diverse patients according to their risk for HAIs. The authors note that the incident of hospital-acquired pneumonia is associated with sociodemographic, clinical, and environmental factors. Therefore, at-risk patients should be grouped according to the risk factor for effective management of their condition and the creation of a safe environment. The resource is a valuable information article for nurses to enhance their knowledge of risk assessment and the focus areas. Nurses can use it when conducting and implementing risk assessment programs for diverse patients in high-risk areas. The resource is appropriate when implementing a multimodal intervention for HAI prevention in ICUs and other high-risk areas.
Stewart, S., Robertson, C., Kennedy, S., Kavanagh, K., Haahr, L., Manoukian, S., … & Reilly, J. (2021). Personalized infection prevention and control: identifying patients at risk of healthcare-associated infection. Journal of Hospital Infection, 114, 32-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2021.03.032
Care management depends on understanding health risks at various points of care. In this article, Stewart et al. (2021) determine the characteristics of patients and extrinsic factors that increase the risk of developing HAI. The study is founded on the principle that understanding the risk of HAI at the point of admission is a foundation for effective planning and management of care related to infection prevention. The authors identify various risk factors that increase the risk of HAI: treatment center, increasing age, comorbidities of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The resource helps nurses to understand better the importance of targeting patients at the point of admission and how it maximizes the potential for effective prevention of HAIs. It also highlights how extrinsic factors for HAIs are known and managed. Nurses can use the resource as a reference for personalized infection prevention and control interventions based on the magnitude of risk. It can be used during risk assessment or when developing risk-related policies for controlling and preventing HAIs.
Conclusion
HAIs stem from multiple factors, including devices, procedures, and the condition of the care environment. Understanding the multidimensional causes is crucial for effective control and management of HAIs. This toolkit enables nurses to implement and sustain safety improvement strategies related to infection control and prevention policy and planning. Focus areas include environmental hygiene, hand hygiene compliance, educational interventions, and risk assessment. The tool kit can be used when implementing related programs, for knowledge improvement, and as a reference for policy and advocacy for safe care environments for patients and nurses.
References
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