Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections: Evidence-Based Practice

NURSING 1
Nursing
Student name
Institution
Date

NURSING 2
Nursing
Part 1
Outline of the clinical issue
Healthcare-associated infections are prevalent in hospitals. Healthcare-associated infections are
infections that patients contract during their stay at the hospital while receiving treatment or after
surgery. Infections can be caused by the procedures in the medical treatment process or from the
devices used such as catheters. Healthcare-associated infections can result in death if not treated
early. The infection can occur in any setting, ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient care
facilities like clinics and physician offices, dialysis centers, acute care hospitals or long term care
facilities like aged homes and nursing homes. There are two main types of Healthcare-associated
infections; they include central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), which is caused
by microorganisms entering the bloodstream through a central line and Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which is caused by an antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Percival,
Suleman, Vuotto & Donelli, 2015).
Healthcare-associated infections are significant because they are the primary source of
complication inpatient care and can be transmitted easily from one health care facility to another.
Healthcare-associated infections can cause up to $25 billion in medical cost. If this problem is
not addressed it can cause an increase in mortality and morbidity rates in the facility, low patient
satisfaction, increased medical expense, and ultimate closure of a healthcare facility. Healthcare-
associated infections pose a high risk to the patient if not addressed early. It could result in an
increase in the duration of stay at the hospital, reduction of the immune system thus increased
susceptibility to other diseases and high medical bills.

NURSING 3
The major prevalence factors of Healthcare-associated infections are medical procedures,
organizational factors, antibiotic uses, patient characteristics and interaction of healthcare
providers with the health care delivery system (Chowdhary, Voss & Meis, 2016).
Evidence-based research has proven to be very useful in managing Healthcare-associated
infections (HAI). According to recent studies, practices such as education intervention and
adoption of methods such as hand washing, antibiotic stewardship, infection control and
attention to safety have proven to reduce the rates of Healthcare-associated infections in several
hospitals. Past research has also shown that practices such as careful insertion and prompt
removal of catheters, decolonization of patients and careful use of antibiotics have been
beneficial (Percival, Suleman, Vuotto & Donelli, 2015).

NURSING 4
SEARCH QUESTION/TOPIC:
Auth
or (s)
(date)
Study Design
Question Domain
Key information Validity Check
(e.g., bias)
Author’s
Results/Findings
Author’s
Conclusions
Reviewer’
Comments
(Your appraisal)
Evidence Source
16/
Septe
mber/
2019
Purpose:
To reduce healthcare-
associated infection
Design: Evidence-based
LOE: JBI
Domain: therapy
P: Healthcare-
associated infection
I: Educational
intervention
C: No education
O: Reduced
infections
Unbiased. The study
was based on past
research studies and
various pieces of
literature
Reduction of healthcare-
associated infections
Further research needs
to be done on the
efficacy of procedures
while in a specified
context, for example,
nursing homes
This research was
too broad. It
considers
Healthcare-
associated
infections in various
hospital settings.
The strength of this
research is the
results obtained can
be applied in various
settings
GUIDE
Author (date): include all authors and year of publication
Study design: include purpose, study design, domain, and level of evidence (LOE) using JBI
Key information: include population/patients (P), intervention (I), comparison (C), outcomes
measured (O)
Validity check: include issues with methodology, rigor, the potential for bias
Results/Findings: include generally favorable or unfavorable, specific outcomes of
interest, estimates of experimental effect, if appropriate
Author Conclusions: author’s interpretation of findings; include limitations, the
implication for practice and research) if applicable
Reviewer Comments: add potential for bias, weaknesses, and strengths of study
design