Hand Hygiene, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Hand hygiene appears to be a relatively simple process; however, it is a challenging process due to the different issues that are likely to occur with respect to improper techniques and other concerns. It is necessary to approach this issue from the perspective of a clinical microbiologist in order to fulfill the objectives of infection prevention in modern healthcare environments. There has been much controversy in recent years in regards to the use of antibacterial agents and soaps to reduce the spread of infection; however, these techniques have been demonstrated to be less than favorable in reducing the spread of infection in many cases. Hand hygiene is a serious and relevant topic in clinical microbiology because it reflects the critical nature of preventing infection in situations where compliance is less than favorable and is limited in many clinical practice settings. The following discussion will address some of the most relevant concerns associated with hand hygiene, including the options that are available and the limitations that exist with respect to current techniques in preventing the spread of different types of infection.

Analysis

It is important to identify the challenges that are relevant with respect to hand hygiene, particularly in clinical environments. It is necessary to develop strategies that will be effective in order to improve compliance and to demonstrate the importance of the use of proper techniques across all clinical departments. There has been a consistent push in recent years to employ techniques that involve antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers to prevent the spread of infection; however, the most effective and proven method is hand disinfection because it not only prevents the spread of infection, but it also reduces skin irritation and other complications when hand washing is a frequent practice (Kampf et.al 649). This study demonstrated that by using alcohol hand rub products, there is a potential reduction of nosocomial infection by as much as 40 percent (Kampf et.al 649).

Hand hygiene is a serious issue that requires an effective understanding of the different elements that contribute to effective outcomes in preventing the spread of infection. This practice requires a greater understanding of the different elements that support the development of new techniques and methods to encourage proper hand hygiene within the patient care setting. One of the key factors to consider is the knowledge base regarding hand hygiene and the risk of infection because education is critical to the success of these endeavors and in overcoming the challenges associated with patient care delivery and infection prevention in a variety of settings (Fitzpatrick et.al 269). Under these conditions, it is important to identify the resources that are available to support positive outcomes in healthcare environments (Fitzpatrick et.al 269). Healthcare Associated Infections are a common phenomenon in modern practice settings; however, improved compliance is likely to be an important contributing factor in reducing the spread of these infections from patient to patient (Fitzpatrick et.al 269). Programmatic efforts must encourage the development of new perspectives that will facilitate positive results for patients in the form of fewer infections (Fitzpatrick et.al 270). It is critical that organizations reflect upon the challenging nature of compliance with respect to hand washing in order to accomplish the objectives related to this practice and to encourage healthcare providers to be compliant with all required steps as they treat patients and are in direct contact with them on a daily basis (Fitzpatrick et.al 270).

From a clinical perspective, hand hygiene is essential to practice settings because it reflects the importance of proper knowledge and understanding of this technique as a means of preventing infection. However, it is important to identify the resources that are available to educate new and existing healthcare professionals in regards to the steps required to prevent the spread of infection (Graf and Vonberg 885). New medical students face critical challenges because they are likely to be in the presence of individuals who do not exercise full compliance with hand hygiene in order to prevent infection, which is an important challenge in obtaining the proper knowledge in this practice and to gain exposure to proper techniques in the healthcare setting (Graf and Vonberg 885). This is a continuous challenge because even the most seasoned professionals are not likely to be effective in this practice and may not be in full compliance with the required practice methods (Graf and Vonberg 885). These efforts are critical because they reflect the importance of providing a strong example to medical students so that their practice techniques are appropriate (Graf and Vonberg 885).

The costs associated with the spread of Hospital-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospital settings is a significant burden for healthcare practices throughout the United States (Cummings et.al 357). MRSA infections impact up to 10 percent of all patients who are hospitalized and require a greater understanding of the impact of this form of infection on patient care outcomes (Cummings et.al 357). Based upon recent statistics, it is known that “Among intensive care units that report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a nearly 3-fold increase in the proportion of S. aureus infections caused by MRSA, from 22% in 1995 to 63% in 2004” (Cummings et.al 357). This perspective is critical because it supports the need to better understand the role of hand hygiene as a contributor to these infections and whether or not other factors are that impact the spread of MRSA in hospital settings (Cummings et.al 357). Therefore, it is necessary to establish a greater understanding of the compliance factors associated with MRSA and other types of infections in order to improve outcomes for patients and to reduce the impact of these infections on the cost of healthcare and related death rates (Cummings et.al 357). It is also necessary to examine how compliance plays a critical role in these practices and supports the continued growth of education for healthcare professionals in order to prevent the spread of MRSA and other infections accordingly (Cummings et.al 357).

Hand hygiene is a critical practice in healthcare settings because it also reflects the importance of new approaches to improve patient care and reduce infection in the most vulnerable population groups. Healthcare workers must be willing to comply with all required standards and regulations and to determine how to best move forward in achieving greater prevention and control of these infections through proper hand hygiene practices. Another factor to consider in this process is how healthcare providers work with a variety of patients in a given setting on a daily basis so that their hygiene practices are appropriate and effective in preventing infection over time. Quality improvement must be considered as a key strategy in this practice and in demonstrating the importance of new perspectives to accommodate patient care needs in these settings in the appropriate manner (Linam et.al e689). It is important to consider the practice setting as a key component in the ability to conduct quality improvement testing and evaluation so that patient care needs are optimized and improved on a consistent basis to achieve the desired outcomes (Linam et.al e689). It is known that “A number of barriers to proper hand hygiene have been identified, including lack of HCW knowledge about how, when, and why to perform hand hygiene, lack of hand-hygiene supplies at the point of care, understaffing/patient overcrowding, and lack of institutional support to improve hand hygiene” (Linam et.al e689). Under these conditions, it is important to identify the resources that are available to improve outcomes and to address the challenges that exist with respect to hand hygiene in the workplace setting (Linam et.al e689). Quality improvement techniques must play a critical role in supporting the continued growth and development of new strategies so that patient care outcomes are met, the spread of infection is reduced, and there is an increased rate of compliance with the techniques that are proposed using quality improvement initiatives and continuous evaluations (Linam et.al e689). These factors are critical to the success of new endeavors and also require sufficient resources in order to promote greater compliance and education for nurses and other healthcare providers to prevent microbial infections in different forms (Linam et.al e689). These factors play a critical role in shaping patient care outcomes and in developing new strategies for improvement that will capture the essence of new approaches to learning and patient care that will lead to satisfactory results (Linam et.al e689). Prior evidence indicates that there is a significant need to develop new strategies that incorporate the challenges of healthcare practice and related hand hygiene techniques so that patient care and treatment is not compromised at any stage of the process (Linam et.al e689). Perhaps most critical to this process is the development of campaigns or other efforts that are designed to improve patient care within the healthcare setting through the use of different types of educational tools and other resources that will expand knowledge and provide a greater understanding of the importance of hand hygiene in expanding practice objectives to improve the quality of patient care that is provided at all times (Linam et.al e689). These efforts are likely to produce successful results and demonstrate the value of greater attention in preventing the spread of infection across all patient population groups (Linam et.al e689).

Conclusion

From a clinical microbiology perspective, healthcare providers must continue to develop strategies that will provide them with the resources that are required to improve healthcare practice in different ways. Reducing the spread of infection must serve as a critical practice method and provide a greater understanding of the different elements that are most relevant to healthcare environments. This practice requires the continued growth and development of new approaches that will be successful in supporting positive outcomes for patients across all population groups. However, healthcare providers must play a critical role in these practices and demonstrate their understanding of the different elements that are key contributing factors to patient care and treatment.

Hand hygiene must serve as a critical component of daily practice settings and demonstrate that there is a significant need to reduce the spread of different forms of infection, including MRSA and related conditions. These infections are challenging to treat and compromise patient care in many ways; therefore, they must be addressed in a comprehensive manner and provide an effective understanding of the challenges that exist with respect to achieving positive patient care outcomes. Nurses and other healthcare providers must obtain adequate education and understanding of the challenges that exist in preventing these types of illnesses and in supporting the continued growth of practice methods to reduce infections. Hand hygiene techniques must be appropriate and effective in achieving these objectives and in supporting positive results in the healthcare setting at all times.

Works Cited

Cummings, Keith L., Deverick J. Anderson, and Keith S. Kaye. “Hand hygiene noncompliance and the cost of hospital-acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.” Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 31(4), 357-364.

Fitzpatrick, M., Ruth Everett-Thomas, Igal Nevo, Ilya Shekhter, Lisa Rosen, Stephen R. Schienman, Kristopher L. Arheart, and David J. Birnbach. “A novel educational programme to improve knowledge regarding health care-associated infection and hand hygiene.” International Journal of Nursing Practice, 17, 269-274.

Graf, Karolin, Iris F. Chaberny, and Ralf-Peter Vonberg. “Beliefs about hand hygiene: a survey in medical students in their first clinical year.” American Journal of Infection Control, 1.39(2011): 885-888.

Kampf, Gunter, Harald Loffler, and Petra Gastmeier. “Hand hygiene for the prevention of nosocomial infections.” Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 106.40(2009): 649-655.

Linam, W. Matthew, Peter A. Margolis, Harry Atherton, and Beverly L. Connelly. “Quality-improvement initiative sustains improvement in pediatric health care worker hand hygiene.” Pediatrics, 128.3(2011): e689-e698.