PA004 Design and Implementation

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 University

NURS 6050 Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

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Date

Healthcare Program Summary

Hospital-acquired infection prevention measures are designed to reduce or eradicate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are infections acquired by patients while receiving treatment for other conditions (Haque et al., 2020). These infections are often not limited to hospitals, but they can also occur in surgical centers, long-term care units, or any other healthcare setting. HAIs should be given appropriate priority because they lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenses. In the US, more than 500 thousand patients are affected by these bacterial infections annually.

The key targeted infections include central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), surgical site infections (SSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), tuberculosis (TB), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The direct expenditure on this prevention program amounts to approximately $1,500 annually, encompassing staffing an infection prevention nurse for designing and implementing standard protocols, conducting screening, and providing education for staff and personnel.

Other costs include training staff, providing appropriate personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, and educating patients. The goals of these programs include decreasing infection rates, educating both patients and staff, and helping to reduce healthcare expenditures. One intended objective is to improve patient security and effectiveness by inhibiting antibiotic resistance and ensuring that patients do not develop other complications.

Target Population

The primary target population will be the patients at these healthcare centers. More specifically, subgroups of patients include surgical patients, those with urinary catheters or central lines, patients on antibiotics, and immunocompromised individuals. While these groups are at higher risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections, other patients may also be affected.

Nurse’s Role in Program Design

Nurses play a crucial role in designing and implementing hospital-associated infection control programs (Flaubert et al., 2021). As the first point of contact for patients, nurses can gather valuable data and report infections, contributing to vital information for healthcare providers regarding infection prevalence and outbreak patterns. Nurses also play a pivotal role in patient education, ensuring that information is appropriate and easily understandable for patients and staff.

Nurse Advocacy for Target Population

Nurses serve as advocates for patients by conducting antimicrobial surveillance, assessing medication regimens, and ensuring proper antibiotic use. They oversee the implementation of infection control protocols, including the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), which is essential for both healthcare workers and patients (Lee et al., 2021).

Advocate’s Influence on Program Design

By advocating for patients, nurses can steer infection prevention programs towards addressing key issues observed in clinical practice. Through education and evidence-based practice, nurses can educate patients and healthcare workers on antimicrobial stewardship and other preventive measures.

Recommended Evaluation Tools

The “Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) tool,” developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019), is a critical instrument for guiding program development. This tool evaluates a facility’s infection prevention control measures comprehensively, focusing on quality improvement activities across various components, including training, hand hygiene, and antibiotic stewardship.

Healthcare Team Members Needed

Infection control professionals, often nurses, lead infection prevention programs and oversee their implementation. Other essential team members include physicians, pharmacists, environmental services staff, administration, and occupational health staff.

Nurse’s Role in Program Implementation

During program implementation, nurses fulfill various roles, including following guidelines, providing patient care, educating patients and communities, monitoring program progress, and collecting data to inform program planning.

Nurse’s Role: Design vs. Implementation

The nurse’s role is multifaceted during both program design and implementation. During design, nurses focus on planning, analysis, and resource allocation, drawing from their fieldwork experiences. During implementation, nurses adhere to program protocols, provide patient education, and suggest revisions to ensure program objectives are met.

References

CDC. (n.d.). NURSING HOME COVID-19 INFECTION CONTROL ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE (ICAR) TOOL FACILITATOR GUIDE. Retrieved February 21, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/icar/nursing-home-icar-facilitator-guide.pdf

CDC. (2019). Infection Control Assessment Tools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hai/prevent/infection-control-assessment-tools.html

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). The Role of Nurses in Improving Health Care Access and Quality. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573910/

NURS 6050 Assessment 4 PA004 Design and Implementation

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(1), 1765–1780. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S269315

Lee, Y., Salahuddin, M., Gibson‐Young, L., & Oliver, G. D. (2021). Assessing personal protective equipment needs for healthcare workers. Health Science Reports, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.370

NURS 6050 Assessment 4 PA004 Design and Implementation