Towards Inexistence of Healthcare-Associated Infections - Essay Example

Leadership and Compliance Towards Inexistence of Healthcare-associated Infections College Leadership and Compliance towards Inexistence of Healthcare-associated Infections Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure’. People thought that he was implying the need to take actions to maintain optimum health. These days, this maxim may not only be deemed applicable to well-rounded individuals; it may also pertain to people who are already inflicted with disease.

When a person is already sick, prevention of healthcare-associated infection is as important as curing the illness. The prevalence of healthcare-associated infections continues to be a global issue (Dixon, 2011). The Center for Disease Control defined healthcare-associated infection as a condition that “develop during hospitalization but are neither present nor incubating upon the patient’s admission to the hospital” (Collins, 2008). This may occur as early as a day from admission to 10 days from patient’s discharge (Collins, 2008).

Change as an Agent Occurrence of healthcare-associated infections is gaining worldwide attention. According to Alfa et al. (2008), it has become a custom for the United States to exert more effort on survey and identification of healthcare-associated infections than to focus on execution of plans. Studies have consistently shown that sanitation is an indispensable factor and key to prevention of these infections. Sanitation as a factor predominantly includes severely maintained health facilities, improper personnel hygiene, improper decontamination techniques and lack of standard infection control protocols (Weston, 2008).

The preliminary step towards eradication of healthcare-associated infections entails major improvements both in personnel conduct and organizational environment. A clear cut example of behavior modifications for healthcare personnel is the proper observation of hygiene, specifically, hand washing. Weston (2008) cited the importance of hand hygiene in interruption of the mode of transmission for diseases. The simplest act of proper hand washing led to tremendous effect and significant decrease of nosocomial infections (Collins, 2008).

On the other hand, organizational strategies have been implemented as well. The World Health Organization pioneered campaigns encouraging adoption of practices towards patient safety among nations (Alfa et al., 2008). People’s behavior and environmental traditions are in co-existence with one another. When members of the healthcare team strive to improve, it creates ripples of change in the healthcare society. Conversely, organizational innovations results to changes in personnel conduct. Responsibility and Conformity Every member of the healthcare team plays a significant role in the promotion of optimal health, treatment of disease and prevention of infection.

Teamwork is a must because each member’s main goal is to provide the best health condition to a patient without jeopardizing their own health in the process. Nurses and other health personnel are the ones providing hands-on care to patients (Collins, 2008). Hence, they are responsible for their own actions and for the provision of optimal patient care (Weston, 2008). Vigilance in the execution and implementation of proper healthcare practices is a must. Nurses become keen observers of the methods for infection control at one another.

Nowadays, there has been an extensive establishment of infection control as another discipline (Dixon, 2011). Members of these infection control bodies are responsible for the surveillance, supervision and enactment of guidelines for prevention of infection. Information dissemination and adherence to existing policies regarding infection control is an exemplary method of teamwork among the members of healthcare team. Leadership as Key Existing infection control organizations are the giant leaders of change in society.

They are the founding bodies for the policies that guide the entire healthcare team. Its leadership is further broken down into an organizational designation for each institution, particularly hospitals and nursing homes. Through their decorous actions towards infection control, supervisors, managers and team leaders can inflict change in the health staff. They are responsible in motivating the healthcare team through role modeling. When a nurse manager complies perfectly with the infection control policies, there is no way to expect disobedience from the nursing staff.

The responsibility of provocation towards adherence to infection control policies is no easy task (Dixon, 2011). The act itself will require effective communication skills amongst the team. Dispute among members may arise regarding the distinctive way of execution, but if gifted with effective communication skills, the group will eventually lead to sound deliverance. Conclusion As part of the healthcare team, I am aware of the responsibilities that come with caring for patients. Strict obedience and implementation to existing evidence-based preventive methods for healthcare-associated infections is a win-win situation (Collins, 2008).

It paves the way for earlier patient recovery, shorter confinement duration, faster hospital discharges, low government costs and protection of staff’s own health (Alfa et al., 2008). I affirm that I choose to be a leader through the character of Dena Gray, the registered nurse. Her character points out to different things such as the need to improve communication skills when faced with professional dilemmas. On a deeper analysis, professionalism has also been emphasized by her character. Family problems and personal conflicts must not, in any way, affect the way we handle our work.

Her flaw of tolerating the error is an important lesson that must be given focus and not imitated. Every nurse is an agent of change when they perform the right procedures. Consequently, every nurse is a leader when they set examples as standards for caring of patients. Every nurse’s voice is a sound for change should be a voice for improvement and must be a voice aimed at improving the patient’s health. References Alfa, M., Baquero, F., Etienne, J., Goossens H., Grauls, C., Harbart, S., …Woodford, N. (2008). Healthcare-associated infections: think globally, act locally.

Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 14, 895-907. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2008.02074.x Collins, A. (2008). Preventing healthcare-associated infections. Patient Safety and Quality: Evidence-Based for Nurses, 1(41), 1-29, Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/docs/CollinsA_PHCAI.pdf Dixon, R. (2011). Control of healthcare-associated infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60(4), 58-63. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6004a10.htm Weston, D. (2008). Infection prevention and control: theory and practice for healthcare professionals.

Cornwall, UK: TJ International.