reflection on aseptic technique
Reflective Log – Aseptic Technique
In this reflection I am going to discuss a procedure that I have carried out whilst I have been on placement and the importance of infection control using the Aspetic Non Touch Technique (ANTT). The procedure I am going to discuss is a dressing change to a leg ulcer which took place during a routine home visit with the community nurse. I am going to use Gibbs Model of Reflection (1988), to reflect on the experience and evaluate my thoughts and feelings of the procedure, and to outline what I have gained from the experience for my future practice.
After observing my mentor and other nurses performing various dressing changes using the Aseptic Non Touch technique (ANTT), and practicing the procedure under supervision a number of times I was asked to change the dressing on a patients leg ulcer. The patient was an elderly lady, who I had visited in her home to change her leg ulcer dressings previously. After introducing myself to her again and gaining permission for the procedure I washed my hands and opened the sterile dressing pack onto the floor. This was now my sterile field to put any new sterile dressings or other equipment onto in order to minimise the risk of the wound becoming contaminated and possibly infected. Within the dressing pack there are a pair of sterile gloves and an apron, some sterile gauze and a plastic bag to put any waste into. I put on the sterile apron and gloves taking care not to touch the outside of them in order to keep them sterile. I could then touch anything on my sterile field without contaminating it and so placed a second sterile sheet underneath the patient’s leg to prevent any debris from the wound from spreading across the floor. I then started to remove the dressings that were already on the wound. I did this and then disposed of them in the plastic bag provided in the dressing pack. I then used sterile water to clean the wound, taking care to only use each piece of gauze once before
In this reflection I am going to discuss a procedure that I have carried out whilst I have been on placement and the importance of infection control using the Aspetic Non Touch Technique (ANTT). The procedure I am going to discuss is a dressing change to a leg ulcer which took place during a routine home visit with the community nurse. I am going to use Gibbs Model of Reflection (1988), to reflect on the experience and evaluate my thoughts and feelings of the procedure, and to outline what I have gained from the experience for my future practice.
After observing my mentor and other nurses performing various dressing changes using the Aseptic Non Touch technique (ANTT), and practicing the procedure under supervision a number of times I was asked to change the dressing on a patients leg ulcer. The patient was an elderly lady, who I had visited in her home to change her leg ulcer dressings previously. After introducing myself to her again and gaining permission for the procedure I washed my hands and opened the sterile dressing pack onto the floor. This was now my sterile field to put any new sterile dressings or other equipment onto in order to minimise the risk of the wound becoming contaminated and possibly infected. Within the dressing pack there are a pair of sterile gloves and an apron, some sterile gauze and a plastic bag to put any waste into. I put on the sterile apron and gloves taking care not to touch the outside of them in order to keep them sterile. I could then touch anything on my sterile field without contaminating it and so placed a second sterile sheet underneath the patient’s leg to prevent any debris from the wound from spreading across the floor. I then started to remove the dressings that were already on the wound. I did this and then disposed of them in the plastic bag provided in the dressing pack. I then used sterile water to clean the wound, taking care to only use each piece of gauze once before
References: Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. FEU:Great Britain. LCHS (2011). Infection Prevention and Control Guideline. Asepsis, Non TouchTechnique and Clean Techniques. LCHS.