The aim of this essay is to ascertain what hospital acquired infection entails‚ the detrimental effects it causes and to highlight the active role nurses can take in the prevention of this type of infection. Hospital acquired (or nosocomial) infection is: ’one that originated in the hospital environment; i.e. was not present or incubating on admission and which appeared 48h or more after admission ’ (Azzam et al. 2001). Infection is caused by pathogenic organisms which invade the hosts immunological
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Nursing Professionalism is defined as the practise of professional nursing as performed by a registered nurse. Nursing professionals primary purpose is the care of individuals‚ their families‚ and communities and to improve an individual’s health and quality of life. There are a set of core nursing values that define and dictates a nurse’s beliefs and actions. The core values include honesty‚ responsibility‚ pursuit of new knowledge‚ belief in human dignity‚ equality of all patients and the desire
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Decreasing Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections Urinary Tract Infections are one of the most common hospital-acquired infection and many are associated with an indwelling catheter. For each day a catheter is in place the risk of developing a CAUTI increases 3%-7% (Kahnen‚ Flanders‚ & Magalong‚ 2011 ). Although indwelling urinary catheters are widely used in hospitalized patients and can provide an appropriate means of therapeutic management‚ they are often used without clear indications
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and in short periods‚ even on an hourly basis. Medical advancements in new technology have the equal potential of benefit and harm. Today’s nurse makes her own decisions‚ that is‚ without the influence of her employer. But how she does is under the control of a Code of Ethics to which she swears (Wilkins). In general‚ nurses are employed by a hospital‚ clinic or some private entity (Wilkins 2007). Yet seemingly “independent” decisions made on patient care not really totally independent. Each decision
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Application of the Self-Care Deficit Theory The Chosen Case Study and Applicable Theorist In the following paper‚ Dorothea Orem’s nursing theory of “Self-Care Deficit”‚ is going to be applied to a case study involving a patient who has obtained a left radial fracture. In the case study‚ the patient‚ whose name is Chad‚ reports to the emergency department after falling off of a ladder at work. While performing an assessment on Chad‚ he reports that he has been exhausted after working ten hour
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Nosocomial Infections (NI) can arise from an inanimate object or substance‚ other patients‚ medical personnel‚ visitors‚ air‚ water‚ even the health care process itself. Also‚ the use of reusable equipment/supplies‚ invasive devices or techniques (catheters‚ valves‚ etc.). Patients in a hospital setting are also exposed to more drug resistant strains of microbes; as in this setting the microbes are selected at a higher rate than outside the hospital due to antibiotic usage in the hospital. NI
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Introduction Over time in health care there have been times in which‚ the directors of the hospital have been trying to get rid of Licensed Practical Nurse or LPNs and want their nursing staff to only be Registered Nurses or RNs. If LPNs are eliminated there will be a huge nursing shortage in the hospital setting. If a LPNs is currently working in a hospital setting are told to get their RN by a date or they will be fired. This is a problem because older LPN that is close to retirement they are not
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URINARY TRACT INFECTION | | What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)? The urinary tract is comprised of the kidneys‚ ureters‚ bladder‚ and urethra. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection caused by pathogenic organisms (for example‚ bacteria‚ fungi‚ or parasites) in any of the structures that comprise the urinary tract. However‚ this is the broad definition of urinary tract infections; many authors prefer to use more specific terms that localize the urinary tract infection to the major
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Definition of Nursing “Nursing is the protection‚ promotion‚ and optimization of health and abilities‚ prevention of illness and injury‚ alleviation of suffering through diagnosis and treatment of human responses‚ and advocacy in the care of individuals‚ families‚ communities‚ and populations‚” defines the American Nurses Association (ANA‚ 2003‚ p. 6). The six main features of nursing are: provision of caring relationship to promote health; the different human experiences and responses to health
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Causes and spread of Infection 1. Understand the causes of Infection 1.1 Identify the differences between bacteria‚ viruses‚ fungi and parasites More accurately‚ parasites are actual animals‚ along with mites‚ and mites are so small you have some thousands living in your eyebrows. Bacteria are one cell things with a cell wall. Virae (viruses) are code only--they are the core requirement that bacteria have‚ but without all the other protective layers like cell wall and energy production. Instead
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