FALLS AND SAFETY MEASURES

Falls and Safety Measures

Falls and Safety Measures

Introduction

Treatment for disease or ill-health is not without its risks. These risks may be inherent to the treatment, such as known side effects of medication, or due to the actions or omissions of healthcare professionals, such as accidentally cutting an adjacent organ during surgery or failing to give the patient prophylactic antibiotics to prevent post-operative infection. Terms used to describe treatment complications and injury to patients include the following: iatrogenic injury or iatrogenic disease; medical accidents; medical mishaps; adverse events; negligence; adverse events; medical mistakes; medical error and critical incidents. Some of these terms have specific definitions while others are general terms that are often used interchangeably. The definition, use and development of these terms are described below. This is followed by an outline of methods used to help our understanding of medical harm, the impact on patients, families and staff, and concludes with a section on how harm to patients can be prevented (Dawson, 2003: 251-257).

Rational of the Study

The rationale for this research study involving nursing students' perceptions of hand hygiene compliance was the demonstrated association between poor healthcare worker hygiene practices in patient care and the widespread occurrence of healthcare worker associated infections (HCAIs). HCAIs are defined as infections that are contracted by patients in a healthcare setting, during the course of diagnosis, treatment or recovery that are not associated with the patient's primary medical condition (Polit & Beck 2004, pp. 205-209). The mechanism of infectious disease transmission under these circumstances may involve endogenous or exogenous spread, both of which may occur via healthcare worker contact with the patient.

Moreover, the HCW's hands are the primary vehicle of disease transmission under these circumstances (Polit & Beck 2004, pp. 205-209). For this reason, it is essential that hand hygiene practices of the highest standards be maintained at all times by healthcare personnel. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that millions of cases of HCAI occur each year worldwide and that effective hand hygiene practices are the most important preventive approach to dealing with this important healthcare issue (Kampf 2004, pp. 373-375). Nevertheless, current estimates suggest that only 40% of HCWs engage in standard of practice levels of hand hygiene. Several reasons have been suggested to explain this lack of compliance by clinicians who should be aware of the significance of these healthcare practice standards in preventing or reducing the incidence of HCAIs. Among the stated reasons for the observed lack of compliance is the issue of compliance itself, which is considered to be a complex behavior that is associated with a specific request and that may be influenced by one's peers and surroundings (Polit & Beck 2004, pp. 205-209).

Aim and Objective

The issue of compliance was the focus of this research study as it attempted to identify student nurses' perceptions of the factors that could affect their personal compliance and the compliance of other HCWs in similar circumstances to this behavioral ...