4 part 1 Flashcards
Define infection
A disease state that results from the presence of pathogens in or on the body.
Define pathogen
A disease-producing microorganism
What is healthcare associated infection (HAI)
Any infection that develops as a result of healthcare from which the patient was not suffering prior to admission. Also known as Nosocomial infection.
Define Iatrogenic infection
infections that occur as a result of health care interventions.
address the chain of infection transmission in order
Causative agent (1) - reservoir (2) – portal of exit (3) – means of transmission (4) – portal of entry (5) – susceptible host (6)
what are the 4 major infection agents
Bacteria
- Most commonly observed infectious agent causing HAIs
Categorised according to:
1. Shape – round, rod-shaped, spiral.
2. Reaction to the gram stain – gram-negative, gram-positive • Need for oxygen – aerobic, anaerobic.
Viruses
- Smallest of all microorganisms. Requires a living host cell to replicate
Fungi
- Plant-like organisms (molds and yeasts)
Protozoa
-Microscopic, free-living or parasitic in nature
Define Reservoirs
The habitat in which the agent normally lives, grows, and multiplies.
Reservoirs for pathogenic micro-organisms include: • Other humans • Animals • Soil • Water • Milk • Inanimate objects
what the components of chain of infection transmission (order)
- infectious agents
- Reservoirs
- portal of exit
- means of transmission
what is means of transmission
Various routes of transmission
defines the 3 major routes of transmission
- contract
- direct contact
- indirect contact
- contact with contaminated blood, water or food - Airborne
- small- particle aerosols
- dust, talking - Droplet
- infectious particles larger than 5 microns in size
- coughing, sneezing, talkingg
what are the examples of portal of entry?
portal of entry is the point at which organisms enter a new host.
common portal of entry include:
- urinary tract
- respiratory tract
- skin
- gastrointestinal tract
what is susceptible host
Whether a person acquires an infection or not depends on their susceptibility to an infectious agent.
what are the stages of infectious disease
- incubation period
- prodromal stage
- illness stage
- convalescence
Define 3 ways of transmission of HALs
- patients may transfer organism to:
- other patients
- health workers
- objects in hospital setting like sofa
- environment (bathrooms, other department) - heath care worker (HCW) can transfer organisms to:
- patients - clinical contact/ care other HCWs
- instruments/equipment
- environment - instruments/ equipments may transmit organisms to:
- patient during clinical procedures HCWs
- other parts of the environment
Describe Hand Hygiene
It is the single most important practice to reduce the transmission of infectious agents in the health care settings (in standard precaution)
3 ways of reducing the spread of infection
- standard precautions
- transmission based precautions
- compliance with Australian infection control guidelines
what is WHS and its purpose?
work, health and safety (WHS)
To promote and protect those in the workplace against risk to health and safety.
To achieve a healthier and safer working environment, practices.
what is professional?
A professional is a member of a profession. Professionals are governed by codes of ethics and profess commitment to competence, integrity and morality, altruism and the promotion of the public good within their expert domain.
Professionals are accountable to those they serve and to society.
4 types of co regulation in Australia
- Registration ( who should enter the profession?)
- registration standards
- endorsements - Codes and guidelines (How might they conduct themselves?)
- competency standards
- codes of conduct
- codes of ethics
- profesional guidelines - complaints & notifications (what criteria would need to be breached for them to be excluded)
- performance:
impairment &professional misconduct - Accreditation (what those who enter might look like?)
- curriculum standards
- course guidelines
- site: reviews/inspections
registration
what is AHPRA and function
AHPRA= Australian health practitioner regulation agency
= registered nurse standards for practice
- think critically and analyse nursing practice
- engage in therapeutic and professional relationships
- maintains the capability for practice
what is the content of the Notifiable conduct
- Practitioner is intoxicated by alcohol or drugs Engaged in sexual misconduct in connection with the practice of their profession
- Placed the public at risk of harm because the practitioner has an impairment
- Placed the public at risk of harm because the practitioner has practiced the profession in a ways that constitutes a significant departure from accepted standards
what are the fundamental responsibilities of ICN Code of ethics?
- To promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health to alleviate suffering.
- Respect for human rights, including cultural rights, the right to life and choice, to dignity and to be trated with respect
- Nurses render health services to the individual, the family and the community and coordinate their services with those of related groups
types of laws currently used
- criminal law
- civil law
- administrative law
burden of proof in criminal law
- Actus reus –the activity constitutes the offense
- Mens rea – the guilty mind or the intention to do
harm or carry out the offence or,
a high degree of recklessness as to the probable outcome of an activity.
describe civil law
civil law is a professional negligence.
- nothing to do with police or punishment.
- many devision (family, industrial property, loss/damage)
- exists to resolve disputes between members of the community
legal principles of professional negligence?
- The defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff
- The defendant was in breach of this duty by failing
the standard expected - The plaintiff suffered damage and loss as a result of
the negligent act - The damage and loss was a reasonably foreseeable
consequence of the negligent act.
what is vicarious liability
An employer is vicariously liable for the acts of its employees when:
• The person is paid regularly and tax is deducted
• The person is entitled to the benefits of an award
• The employer provides the necessary plant and
equipment to enable the person to carry out their
duties
There are other more specific tests for contractual arrangements
what is consent to treatment (civil law)
A series of wrongs or torts: • Assault • Battery • False imprisonment Pt does not need to have suffered any harm and may recover completely from treatment given.
what contributes to problems in spine?
- poor physical condition
- poor posture
- lack of exercise
- excess weight
- illness
Some risk factors commonly associated with manual handling injuries to nurses are?
undesirable postures
- frequency of movements
- duration of movements
- forces and weights involved
- characteristics of the patient, e.g. level of dependency and cooperation
patient handling principles
- clear communication
- client safety
what is the definition of nursing?
by International council of Nursing, nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. “Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management and education “
what is knowledge?
knowledge is
- facts, information and skills acquired through experience or education
- the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject
- the state of knowing
- familiarity, awareness or understanding
how to gain knowledge from ?
observation
personal experience
trial & error
intuition
reasoning :
1. deduction- thinking from general to specific
2. induction- thinking from specific from general
what is ‘it’ that we know?
fact: something that has really occurred or is the case
= verifiable, corresponds to experience
belief: something one accept as true or real especially something without proof
belief does not change facts
define 4 types of knowledge
- Empirical:experiential knowledge from scientific inquiry (data driven), or other external sources, that can be empirically verified.
- Ethical: attitudes and knowledge derived from an ethical framework, including an awareness of moral questions and choices
- personal: knowledge and attitudes derived from personal self- understanding. it is involved with the knowing, encouraging and actualising of the concrete, individual self.
Aesthetic: “ from an appreciation of the nature and art of nursing. anesthetic experience involves the immediate creation and appreciation of the situation. this involves empathic knowledge, including imaging one’s self in the patient’s position, and creativity in the response.
20 years ago, there were key health problems-
- increasing cost of health care
- idiosyncratic/localised & narrow approaches to treatment
- lack of evidence for many expensive treatment
what is evidence based practice?
across all health disciplines including Nursing (EBN), the evidence based practice/ nursing involves the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and the client values and circumstances.
what are the components of the evidence in policy formation?
politics & policy making: content
research, learning & thinking: evidence
test, socialise & build partnerships: communication
what are the steps of research in development of standards of practice
- literature review
- consultation phase- with interviews with key stakeholders, internal review and public.
- validation phase- that involved the direct observation of stratified sample of PN or NPs at work
the EBN/N process - Hospital level
- selective/frame clinical Problem
- generate evidence- based recommendation (EBR)
- ratify EBR
- formulate practice guideline
- independent review
- negative practice policies
- adopt guideline policies
- scheduled review
