Medical Terminalogy

ABSTRACT

The issue of controlling and preventing hospital-acquired infections is a major problem in the Healthcare system. Most patients admitted to hospitals are at some risk of contracting a hospital-acquired infection (Paterson, 2012). Some patients are more vulnerable than others; these include the elderly, patients with defective immune systems, and premature babies. Hospital-acquired infections remain a major concern, and they can occur in any care setting, including acute care within hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, clinics, and long-term care facilities (such as nursing homes or rehab centers). Urinary tract infections comprise the highest percentage (Paterson, 2012). These infections usually are spread by the contaminated hands of healthcare providers or the patient's family members. They are also caused by contaminated surfaces or hospital equipment that has not been properly cleaned (Nassof, 2009). The rate of exposure to infectious materials could be reduced if healthcare providers adhered to certain standard precautions such as hand hygiene. Using evidence-based practice will help healthcare providers be more compliant with hand washing. The educational research utilization proposal project will include supportive data from reliable research studies, an action plan on how to implement different strategies to help healthcare providers come up with ways to eliminate hospital-acquired infections, and a post- test to measures and evaluate staff effort and interest in the proposal solution. Upper management and nurse educators will work collaboratively through all the phases of the evidence base proposal educational program to help staff by providing support, and tools needed to reach the goal outcomes of the project proposal.

Introduction

The proposal for this nursing research utilization project is to educate nurses on the importance of hand hygiene using evidence base protocol and how they can implement it in order to prevent nosocomial infections. Most if not all healthcare providers sometime in their career fail to wash their hands. Regardless of staff views on hand washing, research evidence-based studies confirm that hand washing is the most important way healthcare providers can prevent the spread of infection among patients in the hospital (Chau, Thompson, Twinn, Lee, & Pang, 2010).

Discussion

Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease refers to a condition in which there is prolong reduction of air flow in the lungs (Mayo clinic, 2013). This condition is the resultant of partial or complete obstruction of the airways. The problem is commonly encountered by the elderly (Nazir, Erbland, 2009), and there can be a number of factors that causes its occurrence.

As defined by the World Health Organization, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not a single disease but an umbrella term that includes various factors causing air way obstruction (2013). The two important condition, that are incorporated in COPD are

Chronic Bronchitis

Condition in which there is an increased production of mucus after the air has been taken inside by the bronchial tubes, causing inflammation of these tubes. The mucus thus produced blocks the airways making breathing difficult.

Emphysema

The air sacs are stretchable structure which is responsible for gaseous exchange inside the lungs. The blood capillaries are located in the walls of these ...