Award Date

12-15-2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing (ND)

Department

Nursing

First Committee Member

Carolyn Sabo

Second Committee Member

Roseann Colosimo

Third Committee Member

John Mercer

Number of Pages

45

Abstract

Over the last century and a half, infection control measures implemented by nursing staff have continued to evolve, resulting in improved patient outcomes. While this progress is impressive, a decline in rates of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) seems to have slowed, with only a 0.5% decrease in the last seventeen years. Unfortunately, nurses are rarely provided educational support on infection control practices beyond undergraduate and new employee trainings. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is frequently updating their infection control practice recommendations.

The purpose of this project was to observe the current rate of infection control compliance by nurses, through handwashing and PPE use observations. The student researcher observed registered nurses on multiple active medical-surgical units in a mid-sized hospital in an urban southwest area of the United States, practicing infection control measures during their interactions with patients. The data collected from these observations was analyzed in order to identify deficiencies in current infection control practices.

This project identified the gap present regarding infection control practices on live medical-surgical units and current CDC standards. Additionally, the project emphasized the importance of continued education, awareness, and observation of infection control practices through a thorough needs assessment.

Keywords

hand hygiene; handwashing; infection control; nursing practice; PPE

Disciplines

Nursing

File Format

pdf

File Size

1.1 MB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Nursing Commons

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