Disciplines
Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Today, many hospitals struggle with the increase in hospital-acquired infections, but more specifically the spread of Clostridioides Difficile (C. Difficile) infections among patients. It has caused not only a burden on the patient’s health but has also created a financial burden on hospitals. Due to the spread of C. Diff infections in the hospital setting, many hospitals are implementing strategies to combat the spread of C.Diff. One essential prevention method starts with healthcare workers. Hospital staff is required to use hand sanitizer and frequent handwashing to prevent the spread of disease to their patients. The overall purpose of this research is to establish whether alcohol-based hand sanitizer or hand washing is more effective to decrease hospital-acquired C. Diff infections. The research will identify opportunities where healthcare workers can increase their use of hand sanitizer or handwashing. For the implementation of the research, one hundred northside employees will be divided into two groups. One group will use hand sanitizer and one group will use handwashing for infection prevention. After employees finish washing or sanitizing their hands, we will swab their hands to measure the effectiveness of each infection prevention strategy. Considerations of current trends have identified that handwashing is a more effective infection protocol than using hand sanitizer. Data will be collected from scholarly articles that provide evidence-based research on whether hand sanitizer or handwashing is more effective for prevention. The research will take into account of setting, the current prevention strategy, and the rate at which healthcare workers sanitize or handwash. Conclusions will include the effect healthcare worker infection prevention protocols have on the C. Diff spread.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Alyson Epp
Included in
The Evaluation of Prevention Measures Against Hospital-Acquired C. Difficile
Today, many hospitals struggle with the increase in hospital-acquired infections, but more specifically the spread of Clostridioides Difficile (C. Difficile) infections among patients. It has caused not only a burden on the patient’s health but has also created a financial burden on hospitals. Due to the spread of C. Diff infections in the hospital setting, many hospitals are implementing strategies to combat the spread of C.Diff. One essential prevention method starts with healthcare workers. Hospital staff is required to use hand sanitizer and frequent handwashing to prevent the spread of disease to their patients. The overall purpose of this research is to establish whether alcohol-based hand sanitizer or hand washing is more effective to decrease hospital-acquired C. Diff infections. The research will identify opportunities where healthcare workers can increase their use of hand sanitizer or handwashing. For the implementation of the research, one hundred northside employees will be divided into two groups. One group will use hand sanitizer and one group will use handwashing for infection prevention. After employees finish washing or sanitizing their hands, we will swab their hands to measure the effectiveness of each infection prevention strategy. Considerations of current trends have identified that handwashing is a more effective infection protocol than using hand sanitizer. Data will be collected from scholarly articles that provide evidence-based research on whether hand sanitizer or handwashing is more effective for prevention. The research will take into account of setting, the current prevention strategy, and the rate at which healthcare workers sanitize or handwash. Conclusions will include the effect healthcare worker infection prevention protocols have on the C. Diff spread.