There exist an increasing number of patients with nosocomial infections at the PICU in my facility. According to Peleg and Hooper (2010), nosocomial infections are hospital acquired conditions caused by various clinical factors. Patients that suffer from nosocomial infections are those under admission of other reasons. Such individuals should not have displayed signs of active infections before admission. Thus, nosocomial conditions happen up to 48 hours after admission and 72 hours upon discharge (Peleg & Hooper, 2010).
This essay concentrates on nosocomial infections contracted by patients in acute care hospitals. It focuses on the prevention of various kinds of diseases collectively accounting for nosocomial infections. These conditions include SSIs, CAUTIs, CLABSIs, and VAPs. Organizations such as IHI and CDC recommend the prevention of nosocomial infections as a high priority using low cost preventive methods (Akyol, Ulusoy, & Ozen, 2006).
The primary cause of this problem is the lack of multidisciplinary collaboration among experienced staff working at the PICU. Many patients under this unit have weak immune systems, thus unable to fight infections. In most cases, they develop infections due to the lack of proper strategies to care for post-surgery patients. In other cases, our patients develop nosocomial infection through uncontrolled interaction with hospital staff and other patients (Peleg & Hooper, 2010).
Several resources identify nosocomial infections as a growing menace and suggest a series of interventions that would help in their management. For instance, Saloojee and Steenhoff (2001) state that attention to simple prevention strategies reduces disease transmission capacities. Thus, hand washing is the one of these vital strategies that remain helpful controlling the nosocomial infection. However, it is critical to choose a method that complies with professional organization standards. Some of the organizations to consider include the AHRQ and ANA (Saloojee & Steenhoff, 2001).
Specifically, the issue requires appropriate communication channels among the nursing staff to help enhance care delivery. This requirement aims at the creation of an environment that discourages inappropriate care management. Nosocomial infections are a common occurrence among facilities that do little to take care of their patient’s needs. They are also commonplace in environments that harbor post-operative patients (Akyol, Ulusoy, & Ozen, 2006).
Kurt Lewin’s change theory uses a three-step classic model to manage change in the modern day workplace. The tool helps in understanding the basic concepts of an appropriate change management process. These three steps include unfreezing, transition and refreezing. Unfreezing in nosocomial management involves the reduction of forces striving to maintain the status quo. The hospital can initiate change by presenting nosocomial infections as an annoying problem that would benefit from radical changes. We could initiate change by compelling the nursing staff to understand the importance of new management processes (Current Nursing, 2013).
The second process is the transition stage. Here, the hospital management will develop new attitudes, behaviors and values through process changes and development strategies. It could be a period of confusion as members of staff ditch the old ways of care management for the new techniques. This stage concentrates on getting the nursing staff to recognize the eventual benefits of various changes. However, it should not take this step for granted as a way of facilitating transition (Current Nursing, 2013).
Finally, the refreezing stage involves the crystallization and adaptation of the new management strategies. These strategies would be different from the status quo as a development towards reduced nosocomial infections. I suggest that staff members recognize and celebrate the success of this capacity as a standard part of the change. They should also use force analytics to identify any possible barriers that can pose a danger to the new installations (Current Nursing, 2013).
References
Akyol, A., Ulusoy, H., & Ozen, I. (2006). Handwashing: a simple, economical and effective method for preventing nosocomial infections in intensive care units. The Journal of Hospital Infection, 62 (4), 395-405.
Current Nursing . (2013, September 9). Change Theory: Kurt Lewin. Retrieved from Current Nursing : http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/change_theory.html
Peleg, A., & Hooper, D. (2010). Hospital-Acquired Infections Due to Gram-Negative Bacteria. The New England Journal of Medicine, 381, 1804-1813.
Saloojee, H., & Steenhoff, A. (2001). The health professional's role in preventing nosocomial infections. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 77 (903), 16-19 .
