HLTINF003 Implement and monitor infection

Introduction

Implementation of Prevention and Control Policies

Student’s Name:

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Introduction

There are various issues facing the Health Families. There is a problem in the implementation of the policies and procedures that cover infection control. Thus there is need for prompt action. Therefore, there is need to call for a meeting whose purpose will be to make the team understand the requirements of infection control.

Discussion.

Due the responsibility of ensuring a smooth running of the practice, all the compliance and the management of the 4 administrators, there is need to solve the issues that the organization is facing with regards to the implementation of the policies and procedures that cover infection control which therefore affect the smooth running of the practice. Thus, there is need for a meeting to make the team understand what is required of them when it comes to infection control.

The meeting will cover the following; the importance of understanding and adhering to the requirements of infection control at the facility. Proper implementation of the policies and procedures that cover infection control. Importance of clinical governance and quality risk management. The importance of hospital infection control to the safety and well-being of the hospital staff, patients and the visitors of the hospital.

There is need to ensure that the policies and procedures that cover infection control are implemented and adhered to by the staff of the hospital and the management. That are international and international best practices that guide the policies and procedures that cover infection control. The summary of the key points of the policy include waste management, building and refurbishment of the air-handling systems, planned preventive maintenance, cleaning services, pest control, laundry management for the used and infected linen, proper handling and management of the non-drinkable and drinkable water supplies, Hand hygiene, wearing of gloves, face protection, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, proper prevention of needle stick injuries and proper equipment for patient care.

There are various codes of practice that guide the implementation of the policies and procedures on infection control. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 is a code of practice (2015). This code aims at providing information to the general public, provision of information to the commissioners of service and what they should expect from their providers, clarify registration requirements to all the registered providers for them to know what they need to comply, provision of information for the beneficiaries of registered providers. The key points to this code of practice include cleaning services; respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, hand hygiene, laundry management for the used and infected linen, proper handling and management of the non-drinkable and drinkable water supplies, proper waste management, building and refurbishment of the air-handling systems, planned preventive maintenance, cleaning services, pest control and wearing of gloves.

Hazard identification will play a major role in helping the team to be in a state of understanding with or not they are acting within the best practices. A list of potential hazards will help the team to be informed of the best practices. Some of the hazards include lack of hand hygiene, inadequate environmental cleaning, poor cleaning, sterilization and disinfection of the scopes and the instruments and injection practices that are not safe among others. Therefore, risk identification is important because it helps the organization to meet the regulatory requirements and other requirements as well, it helps to focus the efforts of surveillance to the goals that are targeted, helps in the identification of the at-risk procedures and populations at the health facility and lastly helps in the provision of a basis for infection surveillance and the prevention and control activities.

It is important for the team to continue being informed on infection control. This ensures that it complies with all the regulatory standards and or measures that establishes the codes of practices. Additionally, it ensures their safety, the safety of the patients and anyone visiting the facility. Therefore, sensitization will be done to the team from time to time to ensure that the team continues to be informed on infection control. Trainings will also be done to the team to ensure that they are well informed on the infection control measures. This trainings will cover the codes of practices and the policies and procedures and effective ways of implementing them. Further, proper communication is key to keeping the team well-informed on infection control. Education will be continuously done and become part of the normal work flow. This will include education to both the staff and the patients on the infection control at the facility.

There are various communication methods that will be used by the facility to ensure that infection control is met, achieved and or realized. This will include communication on the policies and procedures as well as the code of conduct. There will be the use of posters within the facility that touch on the importance of infection control. The communication should be simple and quality. This communication will target both the patients and the staff at the facility. Secondly, the use of daily meetings to communicate to the staff on infection control will also be a vital tool of communication. Infection control is important and therefore requires the keen attention. Further, daily phone messages and emails will act as important communication tools to help sensitize on the proper implementation of the policies and procedures that cover infection control.

Coaching and support to the team will be very vital in ensuring that the policies and procedures that cover prevention control are properly implemented. These as mentioned earlier will include weekly trainings on the policies and procedures and sensitization platforms. Experts will be invited to educate, train and educate the team on the implementation of the infection control practices. Issues that have been raised through consultation will be properly dealt with and promptly resolved and or to the appropriate personnel referred for resolution.

The workplace procedures that will deal with infection control risks and hazardous events will include cleaning services; respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, hand hygiene, laundry management for the used and infected linen, proper handling and management of the non-drinkable and drinkable water supplies, proper waste management, building and refurbishment of the air-handling systems, planned preventive maintenance, cleaning services, pest control and wearing of gloves.

Employees will be encouraged to report infection risks and also improve the infection control procedures. The employees who will showcase proper implementation of the policies and procedures that cover infection control will be rewarded. Proper and simple channels of reporting infection risks will be established to ensure that the employees are encouraged to report the infection risks and improve the infection control procedures.

Regards

References

Loveday HP, Wilson JA, Pratt RJ et al. (2014) epic3: National evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England. Journal of Hospital

Infection 86 (Supplement1). Available from: http://www.his.org.uk/files/3113/8693/4808/epic3_National_EvidenceBased_Guidelines_for_Preventing_HCAI_in_NHSE.pdf

Department of Health (2013) HTM 07-01: Safe management of healthcare waste. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-safe-management-ofhealthcare-waste 95

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012) Infection: Prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care. London: NICE. Availablefrom: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg139