Nursing Skills: Infection Control and Hand Hygiene

Nursing Skills and Concepts: Promoting Healthy Physiological Responses

• Focus on providing physical safety, preventing infections, and maintaining hygiene in nursing practice.

Quality and Safety Initiatives (QSEN)

• Emphasizes competencies to improve quality and safety in nursing education and practice.

Asepsis and Infection Control

• Infectious Agents: Organisms causing disease, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
• Hosts & Portals of Entry: Individuals susceptible to infections and the routes through which pathogens enter.
• Stages of Infection: Includes the incubation period, prodromal stage, illness stage, and convalescence, each with distinct symptoms.
• Susceptibility: Factors affecting an individual's vulnerability to infections, like age, immunity, and health status.

Hand Hygiene

• Essential practice for preventing the spread of infection.
• Water and Alcohol-based Cleansers: Effective in reducing microbial load. Alcohol-based is preferred when hands are not visibly soiled.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Includes gowns, gloves, masks, and eyewear to protect healthcare workers and patients.

Regulatory Agencies

• OSHA: Ensures safe and healthy working conditions.
• CDC: Provides guidelines for infection control and disease prevention.

Medical vs. Surgical Asepsis

• Medical Asepsis: Reduces the number of organisms and prevents the spread of infection.
• Surgical Asepsis: Guarantees an area is free from all microorganisms, critical for sterile procedures.

Hospital-Acquired Infections (Nosocomial Infections)

• Infections acquired during hospital stay, typically due to invasive procedures, antibiotic overuse, or inadequate sanitation practices.

Hygiene and Skin Care

• Components of Personal Hygiene: Includes bathing, oral care, grooming, and skin care for hospitalized patients.
• Factors Affecting Hygiene: May include physical limitations, psychological conditions, and cultural beliefs.

Patient Assessment

• Assess patient needs prior to providing hygiene care, focusing on comfort, mobility, and preferences.

Oral Care

• Involves procedures for maintaining oral hygiene, preventing infections, and promoting comfort.

Hair Care

• Regular washing and grooming to maintain hygiene and comfort for patients.

Bathing

• Types: Includes bed bath (assisted by staff), full bath, and partial assistance (patient performs some tasks independently).

Eye and Ear Care

• Importance of maintaining hygiene of eyes and ears to prevent infections and discomfort.

Shaving

• Conducted with care to prevent nicks or cuts, especially for patients at risk of bleeding.

Perineal Care

• Essential for preventing infections and maintaining comfort, especially for immobile or post-surgical patients.

Foot and Fingernail Care

• Regular monitoring and care essential for individuals with limited mobility or diabetes to prevent complications.

Antiembolism Stockings

• Used to promote circulation and prevent thrombus formation in at-risk patients.

This quiz covers essential nursing skills related to promoting healthy physiological responses, focusing on infection control and hand hygiene practices. It also emphasizes the importance of quality and safety in nursing education and practice initiatives. Understand key concepts such as infectious agents, stages of infection, and factors influencing susceptibility.