The Importance of Hygiene Practices in Healthcare Facilities
Mathew Chafin
Mr. Turner
English 101-401
3 December 2012
The Importance of Hygiene Practices in Healthcare Facilities
In the medical field, associates are expected to be extremely educated in the significance of good hygiene amongst healthcare facilities. “Infection control has become a formal discipline in the United States since the 1950s, due to the spread of staphylococcal infections in hospitals Hygiene has taken a major role in healthcare facilities since the early 1950’s, and has remained a main priority since.”(Maskerine, C. and Loeb, M.) The key focuses of hygiene in the healthcare environment are hand-hygiene, cleanliness in the work environment, personal hygiene, and waste disposal which are all necessary in preventing the spread of infection and disease.
How often one cleans their hands before and after tending to a patient is of major priority in this work environment. “Healthcare workers ' hands are the most common vehicle for the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens from patient to patient and within the healthcare environment. Hand hygiene is the leading measure for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance and reducing healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs), but healthcare worker compliance with optimal practices remains low in most settings.”(Kerr 305) Hand hygiene is one of the major ways to prevent infection when tending to patients or staff members. When one fails to keep their hands clean before and after tending to a patient, infections and other diseases are more prone to spread amongst the facility. As quoted on CDC - Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings, “In the United States, hospital patients get nearly 2 million infections each year. That’s about 1 infection per every 20 patients. Infections that patients get in the hospital can be life-threatening and hard to treat.”(Basics) Hospitals are accountable for keeping a sanitary, safe environment in which infectious bacteria can’t spread. Nurses and Doctors must
Mr. Turner
English 101-401
3 December 2012
The Importance of Hygiene Practices in Healthcare Facilities
In the medical field, associates are expected to be extremely educated in the significance of good hygiene amongst healthcare facilities. “Infection control has become a formal discipline in the United States since the 1950s, due to the spread of staphylococcal infections in hospitals Hygiene has taken a major role in healthcare facilities since the early 1950’s, and has remained a main priority since.”(Maskerine, C. and Loeb, M.) The key focuses of hygiene in the healthcare environment are hand-hygiene, cleanliness in the work environment, personal hygiene, and waste disposal which are all necessary in preventing the spread of infection and disease.
How often one cleans their hands before and after tending to a patient is of major priority in this work environment. “Healthcare workers ' hands are the most common vehicle for the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens from patient to patient and within the healthcare environment. Hand hygiene is the leading measure for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance and reducing healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs), but healthcare worker compliance with optimal practices remains low in most settings.”(Kerr 305) Hand hygiene is one of the major ways to prevent infection when tending to patients or staff members. When one fails to keep their hands clean before and after tending to a patient, infections and other diseases are more prone to spread amongst the facility. As quoted on CDC - Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings, “In the United States, hospital patients get nearly 2 million infections each year. That’s about 1 infection per every 20 patients. Infections that patients get in the hospital can be life-threatening and hard to treat.”(Basics) Hospitals are accountable for keeping a sanitary, safe environment in which infectious bacteria can’t spread. Nurses and Doctors must
Cited: "Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings." CDC - Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/>. Kerr, Kevin G., Professor, ed. "Conference Programme: Highlights." The Official Journal of the Hospital Infection Society os 73.4 (2009): n. pag. Print. Maskerine, C. and Loeb, M. (2006), Improving adherence to hand hygiene among health care workers. J. Contin. Educ. Health Prof., 26: 244–251. doi: 10.1002/chp.77 Mccaffrey, Dave. "Principles of Hygiene in the Health Care Environment." Principals of Hygiene in the Health Care Environment - Yahoo! Voices - Voices.yahoo.com. N.p., 14 Aug. 2011. Web. <http://voices.yahoo.com/principles-hygiene-health-care-environment-8868985.html>. Pyrek, Kelly M. "Communicating the Importance of Environmental Hygiene to Healthcare Workers." Infection Control Today Magazine. 14 July 2011: n. pag. Infection Control Today Magazine. Web. <http://http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2011/07/communicating-the-importance-of-environmental-hygiene-to-healthcare-workers.aspx>.