NURSING 7 Report: Hand Hygiene and Infection Control in Hospitals

This report addresses the critical issue of infection control in the hospital environment, with a specific focus on hand hygiene. It begins by introducing the significance of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, highlighting its importance for patient safety and a healthy workplace. The report then critically reflects on effective clinical leadership, examining why hand hygiene remains a challenge in infection control and how leadership can mitigate this problem. It explores the role of new graduate nurses, outlining their expectations, scope of practice, and ethical considerations. The report also identifies key elements of effective clinical leadership, such as communication and evidence-based practices, and discusses relevant Australian guidelines and nursing standards. The report emphasizes the importance of leadership in promoting a culture of hand hygiene and patient safety, providing practical strategies for nurses to improve infection control within their healthcare units. Finally, the report emphasizes the importance of teamwork and effective leadership to reduce the issues related to hand hygiene causing infections.

Running Head: NURSING
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Nursing Leadership
Infection control in Hospital Environment: The Importance of Hand Hygiene
8/13/2019

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Contents
Criterion one: Introduction.........................................................................................................2
Criterion second: Critical Reflection and effective clinical leadership.....................................3
Criterion three: Clinical leadership expectations and scope of nurses.......................................5
Criterion four: Elements of effective leadership.......................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

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Criterion one: Introduction
The report brings about the discussion on the issue of ‘infection control in the hospital
environment, which is primarily based on the hand hygienic conditions’. Infection control
refers to the systematic steps, facilitated by healthcare with the aim to prevent the spread of
infectious diseases. The aspect of infection control, which is basically controlled by keeping
hand hygiene in the healthcare units, is a significant part of the culture of hospitals. Ensuring
hand hygiene is to prevent patients, employees, clients, and families against infectious
disease. It states about the significance of the issue within healthcare and impact on health of
people.
The problem is encountered in terms of ineffective inspection systems of the healthcare units,
and the increasing rate of infection outbreaks in the hospitals. The issue of infection control
has become a severe problem in the hospitals, because every year number of lives is lost
because of the spread of infections in hospitals. Managing healthcare hygiene which is
directly related to hand hygienic conditions is an integral part of the hospital hygiene and
infection control, therefore hand hygiene in hospitals has acquired great importance. Thus,
these aspects address to the requirement of maintaining safety and health of the patient in the
health care units (King et al., 2016).
Criterion second: Critical Reflection and effective clinical leadership
The aspects of improving patient safety and healthy workplace are an integral part of the
nursing leadership within healthcare. This is important to ensure reduction in the medical
errors, thereby leading improvement in quality of healthcare. A safety culture in healthcare
requires a strong, committed leadership, along with the engagement of people in the
workplace. Clinical leadership is essential to ensure making a safe and effective care a reality,
and to further improve the healthcare quality. However, role of a nurse leader is considered
important in promoting effective nursing practices, and positive outcome of treatment (King
et al., 2016).
It has been found through research that hand hygiene under the system of infection control is
still considered a problem. This is because of the fact that there is a low awareness of the
importance of hand hygiene in controlling the rates of infection in hospitals. The staffs in the
hospitals are not aware about the severity of the consequences related to low hand hygiene
and leading death of individuals (Hall et al., 2015). From the research, it has been found that

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the health care workers report ‘lack of time’ as a major constraint affecting their adherence to
hand hygiene.
A shift has been found in the healthcare systems, as hand hygiene is now considered an
important element of infection control activities. Nowadays, healthcare organisations are
focused on washing hands, before and after patient contact that acts as a solution to prevent
bacteria. Thus, hand hygiene attributes to be the single most important tool in the prevention
of spread of healthcare associated infections (Vermeir et al., 2015). To ensure and monitor
hand hygiene is now considered as a priority and policy in the healthcare towards leading
good health of people. Certain aspects or changes have been made in the policies, as health
experts are now advised to wash their hands properly, in the cases: Before and after touching
wounds, it is surgical, traumatic, or related to the use of any invasive device. It is also strictly
applied in the cases of contact with different patients in high-risk units (Read &Laschinger,
2015).
It has been found that hand hygiene or hand washing remains to be a major problem in
context to infection control within healthcare. This is due to the reason that health-care
associated infections have become a major reason of the death and disability. Clinical
Leadership can lead to proactive communication for significant hand hygiene improvement
plan to attain common goals in healthcare (Luangasanatip et al., 2015). It is the duty of a
leader to ensure maintaining a safety culture in the healthcare, to promote safety of the
patients. Through maintaining a safety culture, doctors or nurse specialists will identify
errors, or any kind of clinical deterioration.Therefore, successful leaders are those who create
a healthy workplace, ensuring the culture providing high quality health care to the people.
Through effective leadership such as transformational leadership, health leaders can monitor
the compliance of staff towards hand hygiene and monitor changes required if any. Thus,
effective leadership would assist mitigate the problem of hand hygiene in infection control
(McFadden, Stock &Gowen III, 2015).
In addition hand hygiene is found to be the most effective measure for interrupting the
transmission of microorganisms that leads to infections in the health-care settings. Therefore,
it has become a major issue in the contemporary nursing practice, which needs to be
controlled for better treatment of individuals. The spread of these infections can be prevented
by practising teamwork and effective leadership in the healthcare. Through developing a

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team, leaders and managers in health setting can focus on the ways to reduce the issues
related to the hand hygiene causing infections (Mathur, 2018).
Criterion three: Clinical leadership expectations and scope of nurses
The issue of infection control in the hospital environment especially with reference to hand
hygiene can be stated that it remains to be an important part of hospital culture, which
includes patients, employees and the attendants of the patients. Hand washing has for years
been a key element of personal hygiene as well as a custom of religion and culture. However,
less than two decades ago, the connection between hand washing as well as health was first
created. As a price-effective, vital instrument for attaining excellent health and nutrition,
washing hands with soap and other types of hand hygiene has gained fame in latest years.
The meaning of controlling infection refers to the implementation of a series of steps that are
undertaken by hospitals to prevent spread of infectious disease in reference to hand hygienic
conditions.
As a new graduate nurse to prevent infection, i.e. spread of disease major focus must be given
onto some factors such as:
 Ensuring compliance to hand hygiene
 Ensure appropriate use of environmental conditions for vaccines, medication, and
other biological material.
According to above given two measures it is the responsibility of a new graduate nurse is to
Firstly, have to work and gain knowledge regarding the importance of hand hygiene.
Moreover, patients must be asked about their concerns related to hand hygiene, so that their
behaviour might be analysed. Nurses must tell their patients about the use of sanitizers, hand-
washes, and the correct method of cleansing and washing (Chatfield et al., 2016). Being a
new graduate nurse there is another responsibility to educate the colleague, patients and
families about hand hygiene in infection control. A new graduate nurse should prioritise
infection control in their daily routine and encourage co-workers to follow the same. This
would help encourage their patients to comply with the alcohol-based sanitizers, using soap
and rubbing hands for at least 20 seconds, and so on.
To mention for the evidences, regarding hand hygiene issue, many evidences from the history
can be found, one of them is that regarding hand hygienic issue over 1.4 million cases are

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reported and still the number is increase in a fast pace. In evidences related to this hand
hygienic issue many healthcare units as well as patients they have served, have acquired
bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, chest infections and many others. According
to WHO after analysing all the evidences, hand hygiene has been selected as the first pillar to
promote the Global Patient Safety Challenge (World Health Organisation, 2018).
Now, putting the above information, it would help the new peers, or colleague-nursing
workers understand their responsibilities towards maintaining hand hygiene. They can
analyse the significance of relationship of the nurse or healthcare staff with hand hygiene as
well as patients to develop healthy behaviour and gain control over spread of infection
(Laschinger&Fida, 2015).
Developing clinical leadership skills amongst the new graduate nurses inclusive of the scope
of legal and ethical boundaries is considered vital. Informed consent, Benefit- Do not
damage, Respect for confidentiality as well as privacy, Sense of decorum, etc. are the main
ethical considerations in conducting various nursing practices. New graduate nurses in
healthcare are expected to rapidly obtain and develop clinical leadership skills for providing
safe, and quality care to the patients as well as following various ethical and political
measures of this healthcare industry in hygienic as well as other conditions. (Kazak et al.,
2017).
Nurses or health experts must comply with the policies of cleaning and disinfection, hand
hygiene, Personal Protective equipment, and other practices of Waste disposal(RACGP,
2018). Among the policies as well as effective hygienic tools of nursing, a new gradate nurse
or a nurse seeking for efficient clinical leadership can adopt a role of Personal protective
equipment (PPE) has been found as they refer to the specialized equipment or clothing that is
used to protect patients from germs and other infections. It involves use of gloves, goggles,
masks, and face shields that is used to prevent nose and mouth from entering germs. An
effective hand-washing technique involves three technique, preparation, and washing,
rinsing, and drying. These essential steps need to be undertaken by the patients as well as
hospital staff in order to maintain hand hygiene (Hall et al., 2016).
Criterion four: Elements of effective leadership
Effective clinical leadership refers to the practice of health experts and nurses that promote
the safety, and high quality care of the patients as well as bring hygienic conditions in the

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organization especially related to hand hygiene. Effective clinical leadership is often
understood as the outcome of several elements, such as communication, knowledge, research,
evidence, and networks. In clinical settings, it is vital for health experts to practice open and
effective communication amongst patients and the staff in the healthcare. This would direct a
high-level involvement in the patient care, bring hygiene in various functions of the
healthcare unit, which thereby increasing the empowerment of individuals towards improved
health (Amanchukwu, Stanley & Ololube, 2015).
Regarding the hand hygiene or infection control a number of healthcare policies as well as
practices are established in Australia by various governing bodies. Australian Guidelines for
the prevention and control of infection in healthcare in 2010 is a factsheet that has been
formulated to support patients with infection. This factsheet informs the patients, doctors,
families, and other support members about ways to undertake control of infection in
hospitals. A range of standards i.e. (NSQHS) National Safety and Quality Health Service and
guidelines related to hand hygiene policies has been established for prevention and control of
infection across Australia. These standards aim to improve the health service provision
related to hand hygiene in Australia, and attain consistent level of care from health care units
present in Australia. Some Australian nursing norms such as Australia's Nursing and
Midwifery Board (NMBA) regulate nurses under the National Law of the Health Practitioner
Regulation (2009), which is statutory. These legislative regulations govern the hygiene of the
hands and take control of infections to Australian health facilities. Thus, a nurse can make
use of these hand hygienic standards listed in the framework with the appropriate tools,
methods of hand hygiene for preventing infection in their particular health care unit
(Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, 2018).
For communicating the research evidence, cases, methods, or strategies available for
preventing individuals from infection including hand hygiene as well as other hygienic
aspects. The nurse can first organise a meeting, and communicate the issues, strategies, and
methods of dealing with the infection and in this way they can spread the importance of hand
hygiene. The strategy for hand hygiene, vaccination, surveillance, antibiotic stewardship, and
care coordination acts to be major strategies in context to control infections in the healthcare
facilities(King et al., 2016).
Effective communication being a critical element of leadership leads to better work practices
and higher commitment of other staff members. Communicating the information related to

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practising control of infection, through hand hygiene will ensure improved quality care to the
patients. It promotes the value of healthcare community and staff working with the agenda of
improving patient safety and attaining positive treatment outcomes. Thus, it can be stated that
effectiveness of communications will derive quality outcomes, and empower individuals to
practice better health practices in the facilities (Joseph and Huber, 2015). It has been found
through research that prevention of infection is essential to protect individuals from number
of diseases. Therefore, hand hygiene is attributed to be the major reason to prevent spread of
germs and infections thereupon. The discussion has stated these aspects, issues, and impact
of the spread of infections on the individuals especially in context to Australia. In addition,
the report has also mentioned the responsibility of a new graduate nurse towards preventing
individuals under infection control. Hence, health care experts, nurses and individuals on
their own must undertake the responsibility to ensure cleanliness of their hands, and body to
prevent infections.

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