The Royal College of Nursing says it is essential that health care staff have the time and space to clean everyday hospital equipment to keep the patient environment protected from health care associated infections. The comments come as an RCN commissioned survey of 2000 nursing staff shows that one in three nurses do not have access to a dedicated room for cleaning vital hospital equipment, leaving some with no choice but to decontaminate equipment for patients in bathrooms.
Findings were based on an ICM survey of 2,000 nurses, commissioned by the RCN, showing that frontline nurses face huge challenges in the every day battle against healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) like MRSA and C diff.
The RCN described the results as "shocking", but the Department of Health said it was for individual trusts to make proper arrangements.
The RCN has also called for:
* new wards to be designed with dedicated decontamination rooms and enough space for safe and clean storage
* every trust to protect training budgets for nurses
* every nurse to be given the opportunity to update their infection prevention training
* every nurse to have access to round-the-clock cleaning services.
No wonder we have ever increaing levels of C. Diff, MRSA, VRE and so many other deadly infections. It's shocking that some nurses have no choice but to store equipment in hospital bathrooms.
People need to recognise that fighting infection is about much more than just hand washing.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Nurses in UK clean equipment in Bathrooms!
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1 comments:
There's a very nasty feeling that comes over me when I read this. Thinking about it really brings the sanitation concern to the forefront of your mind. Monk would freak!
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