QI Initiative: Training Nurses on Proper Medical Waste Management Initiative

Training Nurses on Proper Medical Waste Management InitiativeStudent’s NameInstitution AffiliationCourse Code and TitleInstructor’s NameDue Date
Training Nurses on Proper Medical Waste Management Initiative
The rapid growth of the healthcare industry, associated with an increase in chronic diseases, leads to increased medical waste. As a result, there is a need to train healthcare personnel in proper medical waste treatment and disposal processes and procedures. At the hospice center and other medical facilities, the medical waste disposal methods include chemical treatments, landfilling, and incineration (Kenny & Priyadarshini, 2021). However, these disposal methods are associated with issues that negatively impact public health and the environment. Ultimately, a global healthcare issue related to medical waste arises. This report aims to analyze whether the quality improvement initiative of training nurses on proper medical waste management points to improved quality of care, improved patient safety, reduced costs, increased efficiency, environmental sustainability, reduced hospice stay, and prolonged life for patients at the hospice center.
WHO (2018) describes the different medical waste management practices a medical facility should adopt. Nurses and other healthcare personnel at the hospice center are trained on different processes and procedures for proper medical waste management. They are taught practices that decrease the amount of waste generated and how to properly dispose of medical waste to meet local, national, and international standards. Moreover, there is a promotion of environmentally sound and safe treatment of hazardous medical waste. They are taught chemical treatment methods such as microwaving, autoclaving, incineration, and steam treatment combined with internal mixing methods of medical waste disposal. They are discouraged from poor medical waste disposal due to the associated harmful environmental and health impacts. There is also training on safe practices and the risks associated with medical waste. In addition, they are trained in environmentally friendly and safe management practices for the collection, handling, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of medical waste.
Various factors prompted implementing of the quality improvement initiative of training nurses on proper medical waste management. Firstly, there was a severe environmental and public health issue related to poor waste disposal and management at the hospice center. This issue was attributed to medical waste's pathogenic and toxic risk factors. Radioactive, chemical, pharmaceutical, and pathological substances released from medical wastes are highly hazardous and significant environmental pollutants. People can suffer dangerous infectious diseases when exposed to these substances. There is solid evidence that medical waste transmits various infectious conditions, including hepatitis C, HIV, and hepatitis B, since the waste has a vital role in the transmission and pathogenesis of infections (Ashtari et al., 2020). A combination of these factors necessitated the training of nurses on proper medical waste management to reduce the harmful effects on the environment and public health.
Nevertheless, various problems arose during the implementation of this quality improvement initiative. There were financial challenges, a lack of technological facilities, and environmental and health issues. Raising the amounts needed to cover training costs and other expenses was challenging. A large amount of money was needed to purchase the materials and resources for training and the various waste disposal techniques. It was also challenging to comply with the requirements for the storage, collection, and transportation of medical waste due to its high volume. The hospice center also lacked technological facilities and treatment plants, necessitating outsourcing services from other companies.
Moreover, since the nurses were practically trained on correctly carrying out the disposal techniques, such as incineration, there was an emission of pollutants like nitrogen oxides, acid gases, sulfur, particulate matter, and metals. These pollutants adversely affect people's health since they harm the endocrine and respiratory systems. Consequently, they increase the chances of developing cancer and other chronic diseases (Kenny & Priyadarshini, 2021). During the training, some nurses acquired respiratory infections like asthma from exposure to different pollutants. This issue added to the problems experienced during the implementation of the quality improvement initiative.
Despite the challenges in implementing the quality improvement initiative, the hospice center accomplished several successes in meeting accreditation, state, or national requirements. Based on national and international medical waste management standards, specific benchmarks and outcome measures are required to meet accreditation and national requirements. They include compliance requirements for collecting, storing, handling and transporting medical waste to the final disposal center. It is also necessary for a facility to achieve environmental sustainability for it to be accredited (Ferronato et al., 2019). The hospice center achieved these outcome measures and much more due to the implemented quality improvement initiative.
The nurses and other healthcare personnel could properly dispose of medical waste using the techniques they were trained in. The hospice center effectively collected, handled, stored, and transported the medical waste to the final disposal point. As a result, the facility achieved high patient safety, improved quality of care, and good public health. In addition, there was a reduced stay at the hospice center since infections associated with poor medical waste disposal were minimized. The hospice center also experienced reduced costs associated with poor waste disposal and increased ...