Change In A Department: Needs For Good Health Is Good Hygiene

Change in Department
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation
Change in Department
Introduction
One of the basic needs for good health is good hygiene. The significance of this becomes much more crucial in healthcare settings where there are more chances of getting sick because of the high quantity of bad microbes in the air. The healthcare facility is the place where sick people get cured of their disease and conditions. However, this place is also a potential source of contagious infections, and people could get infected if proper precautions are not given importance. The geriatric unit (elderly unit) is possible the one which faces the issue of hygiene the most. This essay is going to discuss the hygiene condition of this unit as well as the rectification process that could make a positive change in this regard.
Discussion
Identified Issue
There were several minor issues were identified while conducting this study in the elderly unit. However, there is this one issue that stands out the most among the others. This is the issue which is not given much importance in healthcare facilities despite it being the one which should be given the most attention. The issue is poor hygiene. The major reason that was noticed for this issue is the lack of medical facilities provided to the staff. It was observed that staff sometimes reuses the things that should be discarded after their initial use (Carayon et al., 2014). The most common example in this regard is the reuse of gloves.
One of the common examples of hospital-related condition includes MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) (Mayoclinic, 2018). This condition is usually associated with invasive devices and processes, i.e. surgical procedures (Mayoclinic, 2018). In the study, it was observed that the nurses who were in charge of taking care of the elders in the unit were not very careful. It was observed that they do not change gloves while treating the different patient. This is just one example out of the many that are threatening the life of the patient as well as their own. For example, if the nurse takes care of a person who is carrying MRSA and if the nurse uses the same gloves on another person who did not have it, then it is threatening for the other person. This is extremely dangerous as MRSA is a highly contagious disease and can easily transmit to others.
Desired Outcome
The desired outcome of this study is to create a plan that would help in providing a safe environment for both the patients and the staff. This could happen by improving the hygienic situation of the unit. For this purpose, it is necessary to follow the professional standards of hygiene and requires the efforts of both the higher management and the staff.
Goals and Objectives
There are specific goals that need to be followed to address the hygiene issue. These goals are mentioned ahead:
* To have a thorough discussion with the staff and make them understand that this issue is life-threatening for not only patients but themselves as well
* Take the issue to the higher management
* To increase the knowledge of both sides and make them understand the severity and consequence of the current poor hygiene situation.
Professional Standards Regarding the Issue
* Mehta et al., (2014) presented a report in which essential professional standards that should be taken care of regarding hygiene were pointed out. Some of the basic standards are mentioned below:
* Proper sterilization of the instruments that come in contact with the patient right after their use.
* Proper and regular cleaning of the rooms and restrooms, everything must be clean with disinfectants on a regular basis to kill bacteria and other microbes.
* Discarding of all the disposable things, i.e. syringes, needles, and gloves after their initial use.
* There should be minimal skin to skin contact between the healthcare professional and the p...