patient safety & quality
By J . Hudson Garrett Jr ., PhD , MSN , MPH , MBA , FNP-BC , IP-BC , PLNC , CFER , AS-BC , VA-BC , NCEE , MSL-BC , CPPS , CPHQ , NREMT , CADS , FACDONA , FAAPM , FNAP , FSHEA
Building Consistency Within Infection Control Practices : Post-Pandemic Practices to Improve Clinical Outcomes and Reduce HAIs
A renewed focus on basic infection prevention and control measures cannot be driven by the facility ’ s Infection
Preventionist alone but requires frontline leaders and staff engagement vertically and horizontally across the facility or health system .
The ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are both substantial and far-reaching . Many healthcare personnel are approaching critical levels of stress and at significant risk for burnout . Patients continue to flow in and out of healthcare facilities at record paces , and the need for reinvestment across healthcare is of paramount importance . Unfortunately , the human body can only maintain itself at critical levels of stress for a short-extended period . Over the last few months , many healthcare facilities are reporting observations of healthcare workers becoming complacent with basic infection control practices such as hand hygiene , disinfection of surfaces , and appropriate use of personal protective equipment ( PPE ).
These practices are largely being driven by healthcare worker fatigue across the entire healthcare continuum of care . Recent data analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has revealed rising rates of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and elevations in healthcare-associated infections ( HAIs ) in healthcare . With the recent focus of healthcare systems being on pandemic care management , attention toward HAI reduction efforts may
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have been sidelined due to a lack of resources or sheer time to focus on these initiatives .
As healthcare hopefully emerges from the most dramatic impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic threat , there is a need to readdress and prioritize infection control efforts in both inpatient and outpatient settings . Hand hygiene , environmental surface disinfection , proper use of gloves , etc ., are all important core interventions that are known to reduce the risk for cross contamination , mitigate HAI risk , and decrease exposure to healthcare workers . A renewed focus on basic infection prevention and control measures cannot be driven by the facility ’ s infection preventionist alone but requires frontline leaders and staff engagement vertically and horizontally across the facility or health system . Only through this collaborative , team-based approach can sustained success against HAIs be achieved . Because HAIs have no boundaries , the approach to infection prevention must
equally be multi-faceted and must reach all stakeholders deep within the organization . The approach must also be customized for frontline healthcare workers versus those not in clinical environments or in support or leadership roles . This technique will build higher relevance for each stakeholder in the infection prevention and control process .
Whether during a pandemic or simply in normal operating circumstances , the CDC recommends an intense focus on core infection control interventions which include :
• Hand Hygiene
• Aseptic Technique
• Safe Injection Practices
• Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions
• Training and Education of Perioperative Personnel
• Patient and Family Education
• Environmental Hygiene
• Leadership Support
• Monitoring of Clinical Practice
• Employee and Occupational Health
• Early Removal of Invasive Devices
These Infection Control Core Practices outline a comprehensive approach to mitigating the risks of HAIs , but more importantly , consider the personnel and organizational challenges that might impede progress towards our goal of zero infections . Each healthcare organization might have unique challenges that must be addressed head-on , and then using a quality-based framework to continuous improvement will ensure compliance with current evidence-based practices for HAI prevention .
Healthcare leaders , infection preventionists and other executives must fully resource infection prevention and control ( IP & C ) programs , ensure that staffing is sufficient , and frontline staff are held accountable to facility policies and procedures . Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas of driving down HAIs , but rather a time to reflect on the lessons learned from the past two years , and strengthen the existing IP & C program , leadership , and build momentum toward prevention efforts of the future .
J . Hudson Garrett Jr ., PhD , MSN , MPH , MBA , FNP-BC , IP-BC , PLNC , CFER , AS-BC , VA-BC , NCEE , MSL-BC , CPPS , CPHQ , NREMT , CADS , FACDONA , FAAPM , FNAP , FSHEA , is president and CEO of Community Health Associates , LLC . He also has an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine . Garrett is a frequent lecturer globally on patient safety , infectious diseases , and medical device reprocessing and safety . He may be reached at : Hudson . garrett @ chaassociates . com
www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • november 2021
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