Beyond COVID :
The Struggle Continues for Frontline Staff
By Michelle DeVries , MPH , CIC , VA-BC , FAPIC , and Nancy Scott , DNP , ACNS-BC , CIC , VA-BC , PCCN , CNRN
At the time of this writing , with local community transmission at high levels , staff are expected to wear masks and eye protections for all patient interactions and N95 for all aerosol generating procedures regardless of COVID status of patient and the continued practice of admission testing .”
As we begin to approach three years since
COVID first became part of our awareness and then omni-present in hospitals across the country and around the world , its impact is still being felt by front line staff in many communities . COVID hospitalizations and deaths ebb and flow with the severity of whichever variant is predominating , and staff ( and community ) fatigue with recommendations for universal PPE continues to fuel transmission concerns within organizations . At the time of this writing , with local community transmission at high levels , staff are expected to wear masks and eye protections for all patient interactions and N95 for all aerosol-generating procedures regardless of COVID status of patient and the continued practice of admission testing .
But beyond COVID , how are staff still experiencing the more long-term impacts of the pandemic ? Or is it “ business as usual ?” In the Midwest , we are very much still adapting to the “ new normal .” Staff shortages across all disciplines ( not just nursing ) are a continued reality and the ongoing need to supplement with agency and travel solutions . This presents continued pressure to ensure that temporary staff are provided with the baseline information they need on policies and procedures for the organization and support for shared accountability for the outcomes in the organization . Each facility has developed local protocols targeting prioritized risks and quality improvement activities which may include different products and different techniques that the temporary teams are familiar with . Current electronic medical record systems may not adequately reflect any deviations from those bundles which further complicates post event analysis . To be clear , we are infinitely thankful for the clinicians who have come to the aid of local hospitals ; too often they have been made the scapegoats . What remains is creating a sustainable solution for more fully integrating them into the nuances of care and the team-building between local and contracted staff to optimize care given .
Guidelines and standards have continued to evolve over these past few years , with the Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice update being released in January 2021 and the Compendium of Strategies for the Prevention of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections updated in early 2022 . Professional development and specialist vascular access / infusion
www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • september 2022
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