Healthcare-Associated Infections in Hospice Care
In collaboration with the approved course preceptor, students will identify a specific evidence-based topic for the capstone project change proposal. Students should consider the clinical environment in which they are currently employed or have recently worked. The capstone project topic can be a clinical practice problem, an organizational issue, a leadership or quality improvement initiative, or an unmet educational need specific to a patient population or community. The student may also choose to work with an interprofessional collaborative team.
Students should select a topic that aligns to their area of interest as well as the clinical practice setting in which practice hours are completed.
Write a 500-750 word description of your proposed capstone project topic. Include the following:
The problem or issue, intervention, quality initiative, educational need, or collaborative interprofessional team project that will be the focus of the change proposal.
The setting or context in which the problem or issue, intervention, quality initiative, educational need, or collaborative interprofessional team project can be observed.
A description (providing a high level of detail) regarding the problem or issue, intervention, quality initiative, educational need, or collaborative interprofessional team project.
Effect of the problem or issue, intervention, quality initiative, educational need, or collaborative interprofessional team project.
Significance of the topic and its implications for nursing practice.
A proposed solution to the identified project topic with an explanation of how it will affect nursing practice.
You are required to cite to a minimum of eight peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice. Plan your time accordingly to complete this assignment.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
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Healthcare-Associated Infections in Hospice Care
Hospice care is a necessary form of care delivering care, quality, and comfort to people diagnosed with serious illnesses and approaching the end of their life (Kirby, 2018). Having participated in hospice care, the key activities included checking vital signs and issues that the patient may have, recording medical concerns, and administering prescribed medication. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have become a significant issue of concern in healthcare facilities, especially in the hospice wards. These are infections that patient gets when getting care or treatment for medical and or surgical care. However, many of these infections are preventable. Hence, adopting evidence-based measures to curb the menace has been integral. The primary goal of any intervention is to prevent, reduce and ultimately eliminate HIAs. This paper describes a proposed evidence-based project addressing the HIA’s concerns in hospice care facilities.
HIAs are regarded as a major quality concern issue to hospice care as they have become an additional concern requiring medication. The infections have become more resistant to medication as well as virulent. With the quality and comfort of the patient a major concern in hospice practice, it has become inevitable for care providers in the facility to collaborate to prevent, reduce and eliminate infections. Within the hospice care facilities, the presence of HIAs has caused teamwork in adopting evidence-based practice to address the issue or improve outcomes.
Notably, this issue/problem majorly affects the less mobile patient within the hospice care unit. This implies that the infections are obtained via the care providers as the transmitting agents. Additionally, with the patient high dependence rates on others people’s care, there is a tendency for the patient to get infected with such infections easily. The consequences of HAIs are far-reaching, affecting not only patient experience and outcomes but also the facility’s work environment and quality of care. Taking a detailed look at the impact of healthcare-acquired infections, they have been an inhibiting factor to the patients’ quality and comfortable hospice care experience. In this case, patients infected by such cases contribute to their health issues (Alemu et al., 2020). For example, patients receiving pain-relieving medication would require additional medication to address the new infections, compounding their overall care experience. The experience of HIAs is a minus on the comfort and quality of care given and patients (Seok et al., 2022). Hence it can be said that compromise on care quality and patient experience reduces the overall objective of hospice care. Concerning patient experience, the infections make the work environment unsafe for healthcare workers and patients, bearing in mind there is a high risk of spreading infection and compromise of workers and patient health status (F Cyr et al., 2019).
Healthcare-acquired infections cause strain on nurses and other care providers working in the hospice care unit (Alemu et al., 2020).). This significantly affects the nursing profession, as such issues are demanding and demeaning to their input. According to Healthcare-Associated Infections | Healthy People 2020. (n.d), any factor issue or occurrence reducing nurses’ overall contribution to the patient’s welfare compromises the overall practice. However, such incidents call for additional research on evidence-based practices to solve and improve the care delivery and patient experience.
Curbing the healthcare-acquired infections spread called for a collaboration approach. However, diverse practices can be deployed to address the issue. The care facility was equipped with hand washing points in almost every corner and entrance to address this issue. Damilare et al. (2020), regarded hand washing as an integral exercise that helps to reduce infection transmission from one person to another. In addition to installing hand washing points, hand sanitizers and wearing gloves and other protective clothes would also be used. Hand hygiene is recognized as a great way to prevent infections hence key towards preventing the spread of infections causing germs within hospital settings/environments (Abalkhail et al., 2021).
Despite hospice care dedicated to quality and comfort for the end of life, it is key to provide the best possible care and environment for the patients (What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care, n.d). Healthcare-acquired infections can be a barrier to the best hospice care possible. However, a constant and effective hand washing culture within healthcare organizations can be the difference in providing the best care and unsafe patient experience.
References
Abalkhail, A., Mahmud, I., Alhumaydhi, F. A., Alslamah, T., Alwashmi, A. S. S., Vinnakota, D., & Kabir, R. (2021). Hand hygiene knowledge and perception among the healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in qassim, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional survey. Healthcare, 9(12), 1627. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9121627
Alemu, A. Y., Endalamaw, A., Demeke, M. B., Mekonen, D. K., Birhan, B. M., & Wubet, A. B. (2020). Healthcare-associated infection and its determinants in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 15(10) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241073
Damilare, Ogundeji Kolawole, RN, RM, RPHN,B.N.Sc, M.Sc. (2020). Hand washing: An essential infection control practice. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 13(1), 776-780. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/hand-washing-essential-infection-control-practice/docview/2410490698/se-2
F Cyr, D. A., Alidéhou, J. A., Johnson, R. C., Houngbégnon, O., Sègbè, C. H., & Bankole, H. S. (2019). Healthcare-associated infections: Bacteriological characterization of the hospital surfaces in the university hospital of abomey-Calavi/so-ava in south Benin (West Africa). BMC Infectious Diseases, 19https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-018-3648-x
Healthcare-Associated Infections | Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). HealthyPeople.Gov. Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/healthcare-associated-infections#:%7E:text=Emerging%20Issues%20in%20Healthcare%2DAssociated%20Infections&text=antibiotic%2Dresistant%20pathologens%3A-,Catheter%2Dassociated%20urinary%20tract%20infections,Clostridium%20difficile%20infections
Kirby, E. G. (2018). Patient Centered Care And Turnover In Hospice Care Organizations. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 41(1), 26-51. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/patient-centered-care-turnover-hospice/docview/2051209589/se-2?accountid=45049
Seok, J. M., Si-Ho, K., Kim, H., Moon, C., & Wi, Y. M. (2022). The epidemiology of bloodstream infection contributing to mortality: The difference between community-acquired, healthcare-associated, and hospital-acquired infections. BMC Infectious Diseases, 22, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07267-9
What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care? (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-are-palliative-care-and-hospice-care