Using a multimodal strategy to improve patient hand hygiene.

OBJECTIVE: The role of health care worker hand hygiene in preventing health care associated infections (HCAI) is well-established. There is less emphasis on the hand hygiene (HH) of hospitalized patients; in the context of COVID-19 mechanisms to support it are particularly important. The purpose of this study was to establish if providing patient hand wipes, and a defined protocol for encouraging their use, was effective in improving the frequency of patient HH (PHH). DESIGN: Before and after study. SETTIN: General Hospital, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: All adult patients admitted to 6 acute elderly care/rehabilitation hospital wards between July and October 2018. METHODS: Baseline audit of PHH opportunities conducted over 6 weeks. Focus group with staff and survey of the public informed the development of a PHH bundle. Effect of bundle on PHH monitored by structured observation of HH opportunities over 12 weeks. RESULTS: During baseline 303 opportunities for PHH were observed; compliance with PHH was 13.2% (40/303; 95% confidence interval 9.9-7.5). In the evaluation of PHH bundle, 526 PHH opportunities were observed with HH occurring in 58.9% (310/526); an increase of 45.7% versus baseline (95% confidence interval 39.7%-51.0%; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Providing patients with multiwipe packs of handwipes is a simple, cost-effective approach to increasing PHH and reducing the risk of HCAI in hospital. Health care workers play an essential role in encouraging PHH.

The evidence for infection prevention and control: problems of design and implementation.

The article discusses the methodological and socioadaptive issues that impact on the development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections.

Applying human factors and ergonomics to the misuse of nonsterile clinical gloves in acute care.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers (HCWs) are recommended to wear nonsterile clinical gloves (NSCG) for direct contact with blood and body fluids. However, there is evidence of extensive inappropriate NSCG use. METHODS: A mixed-methods study comprising observation of NSCG use in 2 acute hospitals and semistructured HCW interviews. Qualitative data were categorized using thematic analysis. Findings were mapped to the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model and used to develop a strategy for improving NSCG use. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-eight procedures performed in 178 episodes of care involved the use of NSCG. NSCG were inappropriate for 59% of procedures (165 out of 278). Risk of cross-contamination occurred in 49% (87 out of 178) episodes. Twenty-six HCWs were interviewed; emotion and socialization were key factors influencing decisions to use NSCG. Data from observation and thematic analysis were mapped to 6 interacting components of the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety work system. Interventions targeting each component informed quality improvement strategies CONCLUSIONS: Despite intense promotion of hand hygiene as the key measure to protect patients from health care-associated infection, NSCG dominate routine clinical practice and potential cross-contamination occurs in 50% of care episodes. Such practice is associated with significant environmental and financial costs and adversely affects patient safety. The application of human factors and ergonomics to the complex drivers of inappropriate NSCG behavior may be more effective than conventional approaches of education and policy in achieving the goal of preventing health care-associated infection and improving patient safety.

Scoping the role and education needs of practice nurses in London.

Aims To identify education priorities for practice nursing across eight London Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs); to identify the education, training, development and support needs of practice nurses in undertaking current and future roles. BACKGROUND: The education needs of practice nurses have long been recognised but their employment status means that accessing education requires the support of their GP employer. This study scopes the educational requirements of the practice nurse workforce and working with educational providers and commissioners describes a coherent educational pathway for practice nurses. METHOD: A survey of practice nurses to scope their educational attainment needs was undertaken. Focus groups were carried out which identified the education, training, development and support needs of practice nurses to fulfil current and future roles. Findings A total of 272 respondents completed the survey. Practice nurses took part in three focus groups (n=34) and one workshop (n=39). Findings from this research indicate a practice nurse workforce which lacked career progression, role autonomy or a coherent educational framework. Practice nurses recognised the strength of their role in building relationship-centred care with patients over an extended period of time. They valued this aspect of their role and would welcome opportunities to develop this to benefit patients. CONCLUSION: This paper demonstrates an appetite for more advanced education among practice nurses, a leadership role by the CCGs in working across the whole system to address the education needs of practice nurses, and a willingness on the part of National Health Service education commissioners to commission education which meets the education needs of the practice nurse workforce. Evidence is still required, however, to inform the scope of the practice nurse role within an integrated system of care and to identify the impact of practice nursing on improving health outcomes and care of local populations.

Optimisation of infection prevention and control in acute health care by use of behaviour change: a systematic review.

Changes in the behaviour of health-care workers (HCWs) are required to improve adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines. Despite heavy investment in strategies to change behaviour, effectiveness has not been adequately assessed. We did a systematic review to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions to change IPC behaviour and assessed exploratory literature for barriers to and facilitators of behaviour change. 21 studies published from 1999 to 2011 met our inclusion criteria: seven intervention studies and 14 exploratory studies. Of the intervention studies none explicitly incorporated psychological theory and only two contained elements of social marketing in the design, although five addressed sustainability. All elicited behaviour change, reduction in infection risk, or both. The exploratory studies identified social and cultural factors that affect the IPC behaviour of HCWs. To improve the standard of research and broaden the evidence base, we recommend that quality criteria are added to existing systematic review guidelines to enable the inclusion of qualitative research and to ensure robust design, implementation, and reporting of interventions.

Informing the future: 2. Developing the role of community IPCNs.

This paper is the second in a two-part series summarising the main findings and conclusions of a review of the roles and responsibilities of infection prevention and control nurses commissioned by the Department of Health. It describes the core work of IPCNs, discusses the strengths and constraints of the current role and makes suggestions for future development.