Complete Rough Draft

Background

According to various reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a significant number of lives are lost each passing year due to the spread of infections in hospitals that could otherwise have been prevented (Alp & Damani, 2015). Therefore, effort geared towards understanding infection control plays a significant role in reducing the otherwise unnecessary loss of lives. Infection control entails the power to directly prevent or determine the spread of infections with the aim of avoiding it (Berríos-Torres, et al., 2017). Indeed, the pathological state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms has far-reaching consequences. While so much has been done to prevent its spread, there is still a lot more to be done. This research paper intends to focus on Healthcare-associated Infections and how it can be prevented if not eliminated altogether.

Statement of the Problem

Healthcare-Associated Infections are a common occurrence in the modern healthcare setting resulting in huge financial losses and loss of lives. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Healthcare Promotion (ODPHP), these are infections that patients contract while receiving treatment in a medical facility. Percival, Suleman, Vuotto & Donelli, (2015) pointed out that its prevalence is as a result of the employment of invasive devices and procedures meant to treat patients and to help them recover. While most of them are accidental in nature, they still remain to be seen as accidents that could have been prevented. The US government, through the establishment of Healthy People 2020 and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have taken a lead role in spreading the news on infection control. To that effect, recent research reveals that there could be a 70% reduction in infections by implementing existing prevention practices. This translates to a financial benefit estimated to be $31.5 billion in medical cost savings (ODPHP, 2019). Understanding these prevention measures should, therefore, be a priority to all healthcare practitioners. That is why this research study intends to shade more light on nosocomial infections. These are infections that occur within 48 hours upon admission into a hospital. They can also occur in three days of discharge or 30 days of operation. They affect one in every 10 patients admitted in a hospital (Khan, Baig & Mehboob, 2017; Suleyman, & Alangaden, 2016).

Rationale for addressing the issue

Addressing this issue is important to the health sector from a political, social as well as environmental perspective. As a matter of fact, its impact will be on a short term, interim basis and long term basis. Politically, health has always been a major subject of concern as it is used by voters to determine how best an administration has taken care of their needs. Establishing an infection control unit will therefore be beneficial to any incumbent during the elections. Besides improvising awareness on infection control, addressing this issue will not only lead to improved safety measures to control spread of diseases but also result to reduced cases of infections in the short run (Percival, Suleman, Vuotto & Donelli, 2015). This is will be the epidemiological contribution of this research, On the other hand, it will lead to the adoption of policies on infection control in the hospital, proper designing of an infection control modes and effective preparation of infection control training manual for the health facility on the interim basis. Finally, it will lead to the elimination or significant reduction in infection-related mortality in the long run. All these will result in an infection-free health care environment.

The following are the impact statements that I intend to engage to address this problem during your 120 hours in the field.

· To find out how to prevent the transmission of germs during interactions between healthcare workers and patients.

· To evaluate the best approaches to using personal protective equipment.

· To identify approaches that minimize the role of the healthcare environment

· to find innovative strategies to protect patients by stopping spread of germs

Foundational Competencies

These are the set of skills used in the broad practice of public health by healthcare professionals. They were developed by the council of Linkages and are categorized into three tiers and 8 domains. The framework that supports the approach taken by this study is from the first tier (Front Line Staff/Entry Level) and two domains namely the Analytical/Assessment Skills as well as the Public Health Sciences Skills. The first tier is concerned with those competencies that apply to public health professionals who are not necessarily in management positions. The approach is therefore meant to provide analytical skills on infection control to the public.

Research Methodology

There are efforts to contain the scourge of infections that happen within healthcare precincts. Apparently, there is need for more initiatives to try and control the infections and with an ultimate goal of complete eradication. This section lays out the methodology of one of the infection control efforts whose results will, hopefully, influence key decision makers in terms of commitment and the will to face the problem. As Sessler & Imrey pointed out, research methodology is the framework that chronologically arranges the techniques that will be used to conduct a study into a specific problem. To be sure, the methodology contains specific procedures that pinpoint, gather and analyze data that is relevant to the research topic. Broadly speaking, research methodology forks into two major categories that are quantitative and qualitative analysis. While quantitative research is descriptive in nature, quantitative analysis follows an exploratory approach where the primary objective is provide more insights into a problem (Hammersley, 2017).

Research design

The ultimate goal of this study is to completely eradicate healthcare-associated infections. To that end, there is need for insights into the problem and, particularly, how the infections happen and why. As such, the researcher will utilize a qualitative research design which, as per Castrodale facilitated an in-depth examination of non-numerical data to establish the best way to control, prevent and eradicate infections.

Procedures for data collection and analysis

Beginning the data collection and analysis process goes back to the point where the researcher identifies the appropriate sample that will aid the investigation during the study. In a qualitative analysis, the data is always in non-numerical form. To be sure, qualitative study collects data that will aid the researcher to develop appropriate, if not accurate, ideas to facilitate the study. The best technique that can be used to collect such data is by employing questionnaires. In addition, the researcher will carry out assessments on the infection levels within the target population. This is one of the ways through which the researcher will find out the most appropriate measures that should be taken to control the infections. The key desired impacts of the study are to first determine how the transmission of germs at any point during patient-health worker interaction can prevented. Secondly, the study will try to establish the most fitting techniques to employ protective equipment while at looking for innovative ways to protect patients. While conducting the surveys, the study will keenly focus on the intended impacts such that the resulting data is relevant, reliable and impactful.

To get a sense of the data, the study will employ content analysis approach to interpret the data from surveys. In particular, the main idea is to form a solid concept that explains the behavioral aspect of the infection problem. Further, this technique will help to interpret the text of the observations recorded during the assessment exercise to determine the levels of infection within the sample. During the data analysis phase, the researcher will focus on relationships and patterns that might provide important insight into the problem. Ultimately, the idea to establish the main elements that play a significant part in the transmission of germs from the health workers to the patients.

Research objectives

1. To find out how to prevent the transmission of germs during interactions between healthcare workers and patients.

2. To evaluate the best approaches to using personal protective equipment.

3. To identify approaches that minimize the role of the healthcare environment

4. to find innovative strategies to protect patients by stopping spread of germs

shell for reporting data

Faculty Demographics

Tick as appropriate using the following Likert scale of 1-5 where: 1= No Extent; 2= Little Extent; 3= Moderate Extent; 4= Great Extent; 5=Very Great Extent

Tick as appropriate using the following Likert scale of 1-5 where: 1= No Extent; 2= Little Extent; 3= Moderate Extent; 4= Great Extent; 5=Very Great Extent

Tick as appropriate using the following Likert scale of 1-5 where: 1= No Extent; 2= Little Extent; 3= Moderate Extent; 4= Great Extent; 5=Very Great Extent

Tick as appropriate using the following Likert scale of 1-5 where: 1= No Extent; 2= Little Extent; 3= Moderate Extent; 4= Great Extent; 5=Very Great Extent

Graphical Analysis of the Objectives

References

1. Sessler DI, Imrey PB. Clinical Research Methodology 2. Anesthesia & Analgesia. 2015;121(4):1043-1051.

2. Castrodale MA. Mobilizing Dis/Ability Research: A Critical Discussion of Qualitative Go-Along Interviews in Practice. Qualitative Inquiry. 2017;24(1):45-55.

3. Hammersley M. Deconstructing the qualitative-quantitative divide 1. Mixing Methods: qualitative and quantitative research. 2017:39-55.

4. References

5. Alp, E., & Damani, N. (2015). Healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units: epidemiology and infection control in low-to-middle income countries. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 9(10), 1040-1045.

6. Berríos-Torres, S. I., Umscheid, C. A., Bratzler, D. W., Leas, B., Stone, E. C., Kelz, R. R., ... & Dellinger, E. P. (2017). Centers for disease control and prevention guideline for the prevention of surgical site infection, 2017. JAMA surgery, 152(8), 784-791.

7. Khan, H. A., Baig, F. K., & Mehboob, R. (2017). Nosocomial infections: Epidemiology, prevention, control and surveillance. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 7(5), 478-482.

8. Percival, S. L., Suleman, L., Vuotto, C., & Donelli, G. (2015). Healthcare-associated infections, medical devices and biofilms: risk, tolerance and control. Journal of medical microbiology, 64(4), 323-334.

9. Suleyman, G., & Alangaden, G. J. (2016). Nosocomial Fungal Infections: Epidemiology, Infection Control, and Prevention. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, 30(4), 1023-1052.