- Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. It's the #1 way to prevent the spread of communicable disease.
- Cover your cough. All patients who have an active cough or upper respiratory symptoms must wear a surgical mask. The patient must also perform hand hygiene each time they sneeze or blow their nose.
For employees of 3 West that want to stay informed about the latest happenings on our unit!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Infection Prevention Reminders
The flu in the news is a good reason to remember the basics when it comes to infection prevention.
Hello fellow staff--I still have yet to receive the equipment tags from purchasing to help
ReplyDeleteroll out our MDRO Precautions.
I have put up two educational posters--one in the staff bathroom and one in the education
room. This is just a quick reminder to do a 360 degree check with the isolation patients.
Remember to be nice when re-educating other non-3W staff as well as the physicians.
We need to remember to tape the nurse servers CLOSED with an isolation patient. I have provided the necessary equipment for this in the top drawer of each cart, along with sheet protectors for MARs. I'm going to creat a mini "tool box" of necessary equipment that we can't access in the nurse servers. I'm making two of these from the old IV trays (we had 6 functioning) and will contain very minimal, basic stuff usually found in the nurse servers, like oxygen tubing, dots, etc. This should have very minimal equipment in them as everythying taken in the room should be wiped down or disposed upon discharge. I'll try to secure these trays and have them tagged with the "in use or clean" tag on it.
3 West PCU Isolation Precautions:
1. Proper identification of Patient: Do they have a history of MRSA/VRE? Is there Gram Positive Cocci in Clusters reported from the lab? Notify Infection Control when patient identified at extension 2336
2. Proper Room Set Up: Equipment Tag to IN USE, Tape the Nurse Servers CLOSED (use linen bag as usual), Is there disposable equipment for the patient? (thermometer, stethoscope, CP Cuff)
3. Proper Education: Patient and Families, Patient Education in Reference Books and on
Meditech Under "Policies"-"Infection Prevention" in both English and Spanish, Other staff (transporters, cardiopulmonary staff, RT, PT, OT), Physicians (Are they adhering to
standards? Do they take the chart in the room?
4. Proper Attire-Is the cart outside the room stocked? Does the cart have the necessary equipment? How are you transporting your MARs? Are shoe covers necessary for this patient?
5. Proper Discharge Procedure-Dispose of everything, bag linen, leave signs on the door and RESTOCK THE CART
The nursing staff discharging the patient restocks the cart for the next patient.
ROVING EQUIPMENT-DASH MONITORS, WALKERS, OXYGEN TANKS are cleaned between patients with
Tergo Wipes and with Spray/Microfiber Cloths with C-diff patient
The accessibility of the Tergo Wipes for roving equipment are my next challenge-where
should we put our Tergo Holders? I was personally thinking of with the Hand Sanitizer
Outside the rooms about every 3 or 4 rooms. Any suggestions?
Please call Melissa at 2479 with questions and suggestion.