Infection control
In this particular reflection, I will use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988), to reflect another personal experience. This incident is related to the prevention of infection by following hand washing at the workplace. Hand washing is important to prevent cross-contamination and to stop the spread of hospital-acquired infections (Kolawole, 2020). Moreover, infection control is mandatory to ensure the safety of the patients and health-care workers in any healthcare sector.
During my EPIQ-RN clinical placements, I was posted in an autumn aged care facility, Boronia, as a student nurse, where I was working under the supervision of a clinical instructor. One day, during my morning shift, I was assisting another registered nurse in doing medication. At the middle for medication round, I noticed that urine bag was one of the residents was almost full. Therefore, the nurse told me to empty the bag first. I emptied the bag in a urinal and disposed of this as per instructions of the registered nurse. However, I removed my gloves and went back to resume medication under the supervision of the nurse. However, my supervisor noticed everything. He stopped me and told to do the hand washing before resuming the medication administration. My supervisor was not happy with my performance and he gave me an assignment of preparing hand washing procedure on the next day.
I felt very anxious, ashamed, and nervous at that time. It was very unprofessional and incompetent behaviour of mine. However, my supervisor explained to me the importance of hand washing to provide patient-centred care.
I evaluated that reasons for marinating hand hygiene at the workplace. The evaluation shows that the hospital environment including surfaces, patients’ surroundings, patient’s belongings, used equipment, tubing etcetera are highly contaminated (Munoz-Figueroa, & Ojo, 2018). Direct contact with such things can cause cross-contamination and nosocomial infections to both patients and staff members (Kolawole, 2020). I analysed that hand washing is fundamental to control infection at the workplace (Kolawole, 2020).
On analysis, I came to know that I was incompetent at maintaining hand hygiene at the workplace. Many studies evident that poor hand hygiene is one of the major causes of nosocomial infections in the hospital (Kolawole, 2020). However, many studies show that with continuing education and training, this problem can be controlled efficiently (Richards, 2016).
In conclusion, hand washing is one of the main priorities to prevent infections and improve patient safety in the workplace. Moreover, registered nurses are the cornerstone of the healthcare system, who comes in direct contact with all the patients.
Therefore, nurses must know the hand washing steps and methods to do proper hand washing (Taylor, 2016).
Continuing education, regular feedback, and evaluation of the staff members, nursing students and other professionals are some of the important actions plans that must be taken into consideration to prevent infection and maintain hygiene at the workplace (Taylor, 2016).
Overall, this reflection was about hand washing and its importance in the healthcare sector.
In this particular reflection, I will use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988), to reflect another personal experience. This incident is related to the prevention of infection by following hand washing at the workplace. Hand washing is important to prevent cross-contamination and to stop the spread of hospital-acquired infections (Kolawole, 2020). Moreover, infection control is mandatory to ensure the safety of the patients and health-care workers in any healthcare sector.
During my EPIQ-RN clinical placements, I was posted in an autumn aged care facility, Boronia, as a student nurse, where I was working under the supervision of a clinical instructor. One day, during my morning shift, I was assisting another registered nurse in doing medication. At the middle for medication round, I noticed that urine bag was one of the residents was almost full. Therefore, the nurse told me to empty the bag first. I emptied the bag in a urinal and disposed of this as per instructions of the registered nurse. However, I removed my gloves and went back to resume medication under the supervision of the nurse. However, my supervisor noticed everything. He stopped me and told to do the hand washing before resuming the medication administration. My supervisor was not happy with my performance and he gave me an assignment of preparing hand washing procedure on the next day.
I felt very anxious, ashamed, and nervous at that time. It was very unprofessional and incompetent behaviour of mine. However, my supervisor explained to me the importance of hand washing to provide patient-centred care.
I evaluated that reasons for marinating hand hygiene at the workplace. The evaluation shows that the hospital environment including surfaces, patients’ surroundings, patient’s belongings, used equipment, tubing etcetera are highly contaminated (Munoz-Figueroa, & Ojo, 2018). Direct contact with such things can cause cross-contamination and nosocomial infections to both patients and staff members (Kolawole, 2020). I analysed that hand washing is fundamental to control infection at the workplace (Kolawole, 2020).
On analysis, I came to know that I was incompetent at maintaining hand hygiene at the workplace. Many studies evident that poor hand hygiene is one of the major causes of nosocomial infections in the hospital (Kolawole, 2020). However, many studies show that with continuing education and training, this problem can be controlled efficiently (Richards, 2016).
In conclusion, hand washing is one of the main priorities to prevent infections and improve patient safety in the workplace. Moreover, registered nurses are the cornerstone of the healthcare system, who comes in direct contact with all the patients.
Therefore, nurses must know the hand washing steps and methods to do proper hand washing (Taylor, 2016).
Continuing education, regular feedback, and evaluation of the staff members, nursing students and other professionals are some of the important actions plans that must be taken into consideration to prevent infection and maintain hygiene at the workplace (Taylor, 2016).
Overall, this reflection was about hand washing and its importance in the healthcare sector.