Structure of the Hospital: Learning Material for Nursing Practice
Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Some patients go to a hospital just for diagnosis, treatment, or therapy and then leave ('outpatients') without staying overnight; while others are 'admitted' and stay overnight or for several days or weeks or months ('inpatients'). Majority of our hospitals, one does not need to be a keen observer in assessing the conditions of these hospitals. Most of the time, wards are too crowded with patients. Equipments and facilities are inadequate of the patient’s needs. Even the hospital personnel, nurses, and doctors are not sufficient in number to meet every patient’s immediate demands. Health association infection (HCAI) is recognized as a major and increasing problem to health nowadays. Every year, many lives are lost because of the spread of infections. And it is one of the most worrying issues for hospital patients and their relatives, and it is always in the news. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council said 21,319 patients admitted to a Pennsylvania hospital in 2010 acquired an infection. These patients stayed in the hospital three times longer than patients without infections; were far more likely to be readmitted up to a month after their hospital stay; and were more than five times likely to die than patients without infections. According to World Health Organization (WHO), health care providers play an important role in infection control and prevention. Educating patients may decrease the squeal of infection using appropriate barrier precautions, observing prudent hygiene, and ensuring aseptic care of IV catheters and other invasive equipment also assist. Infection control in health care facilities like Aseptic technique is a key component of all invasive medical procedures. Similarly, infection control measures are most effective when Standard Precautions (health care) are applied because undiagnosed
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Some patients go to a hospital just for diagnosis, treatment, or therapy and then leave ('outpatients') without staying overnight; while others are 'admitted' and stay overnight or for several days or weeks or months ('inpatients'). Majority of our hospitals, one does not need to be a keen observer in assessing the conditions of these hospitals. Most of the time, wards are too crowded with patients. Equipments and facilities are inadequate of the patient’s needs. Even the hospital personnel, nurses, and doctors are not sufficient in number to meet every patient’s immediate demands. Health association infection (HCAI) is recognized as a major and increasing problem to health nowadays. Every year, many lives are lost because of the spread of infections. And it is one of the most worrying issues for hospital patients and their relatives, and it is always in the news. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council said 21,319 patients admitted to a Pennsylvania hospital in 2010 acquired an infection. These patients stayed in the hospital three times longer than patients without infections; were far more likely to be readmitted up to a month after their hospital stay; and were more than five times likely to die than patients without infections. According to World Health Organization (WHO), health care providers play an important role in infection control and prevention. Educating patients may decrease the squeal of infection using appropriate barrier precautions, observing prudent hygiene, and ensuring aseptic care of IV catheters and other invasive equipment also assist. Infection control in health care facilities like Aseptic technique is a key component of all invasive medical procedures. Similarly, infection control measures are most effective when Standard Precautions (health care) are applied because undiagnosed