Saving Lives: reducing infection, delivering safe care

To tie with the Department of Health's Saving Lives initiative, our 'Take 5: standards for a clean and safe hospital' staff programme, introduced in February 2005, has been changed to 'Saving Lives: reducing infection, delivering safe care'.

 

We now ask our staff to follow six key standards to help safeguard patients, visitors and themselves from infections and to deliver safe care:

 

These standards are mainly for staff who have direct contact with patients but all staff need to be aware of them and follow them as appropriate. They are supported by full policies, which are available to our staff on our Intranet. You can help our staff meet these standards by reporting any problems and helping to keep your bed area clutter-free.

 

If staff have any queries about the standards, they are asked to speak to their manager or one of the senior clinical nurses (our 'modern matrons')

 

Hand hygiene

• Use alcohol gel every time you enter or leave a ward or clinic
• Clean your hands before and after every hands-on patient contact
• Clean your hands when you enter and leave a patient curtain area
• Wash your hands with liquid soap and water whenever your hands are visibly soiled or in case of Clostridium difficile or Norovirus
• Wash your hands with liquid soap and water after five alcohol gel applications

 

Personal protective equipment

• Always clean your hands before and after using gloves
• Wear gloves if you could be at risk of exposure to blood and other body fluids
• Wear a plastic apron if there is a risk of splashes of blood or other body fluids
• Wear gloves and plastic aprons for one procedure only
• Use face masks and eye protection whenever there is a risk of blood or other body fluids splashing your face or eyes

 

Intravascular Cannula Care

• Ensure there is a continuing clinical need for the line, if not it should be removed
• Wash your hands before and after every line manipulation
• Check at least daily that the line site is dry, clean and free from signs of infection, use the VIP store to access the site
• Check there is a clean, dry, sterile, transparent dressing that has been changed appropriately
• Use aseptic non touch technique (ANTT) to access hubs, ports etc
• Complete the Daily Care Record

 

Urinary Catheter Care

• Check there is a continuing clinical need for the catheter, if not it should be removed
• Wash your hands before and after every catheter manipulation
• Document date and time of insertion of catheter in patient's notes
• Check whether catheter care has been performed at least daily and documented
• Check there is a sterile closed drainage catheter system; that the tubing and bag are placed below the level of the bladder; and the catheter bag kept off the floor
• Complete the Daily Care Record

 

Clostridium difficile

• Wash your hands with hibiscrub, alcohol rubs are not effective
• Ensure early detection by timely specimen collection
• Isolate patients within two hours of suspected Clostridium difficile
• Use appropriate barrier nursing precautions
• Use Sodium Hypochloride solution or 'Chlorclean' for daily and terminal cleaning of the room or bay
• Ensure appropriate antibiotic prescribing
• Complete the Daily Care Record

 

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decolonisation

• Commence patient on the Integrated Care pathway (ICP): Care of the patient with MRSA
• Clearly record start and stop dates for the treatment, and re-screening dates
• Use the antibacterial body wash daily
• Apply antibacterial nasal cream three times a day for seven days
• Nightwear and bed linen should be changed at least daily or sooner if required
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn if there is to be direct contact with the patient, equipment or the environment
• The patient should be re-screened to check for clearance at least two clear days after treatment has been completed and at weekly intervals for three weeks whilst in hospital
• If the patient is discharged to the community, the ICP should go with them

 

 

 

 

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