Evidence based approach on hand washing by nurses Essay

Evidence based approach on hand washing by nurses - Essay Example The product should contain at least 60% alcohol and user should follow the following steps in hand-washing: Routine hygienic hand washing for health care workers This routine was developed to ensure optimum cleaning of disease pathogens Use warm water to wet your hands Apply antiseptic soap containing chlorohexidine work up a good lather of the soap applying with vigorous contact on all surfaces of the hands especially nails and between fingers Washing should last for at least 15 seconds followed by thorough rinsing in clean water and avoid splashing Dry hands using a disposable blotting towel and discard it 1.1 Background This evidence based approach is based on studies published by centre for disease control and prevention (CDC) guideline (2002) for hand-washing and hospital environmental control that strongly recommend hand-washing using appropriate cleansing agent by care givers. The guidelines recommend alcohol-based gels as opposed to medicated soap and plain water for hygienic hand-washing by HCWs. Maintenance of a hygienic environment for the patient is recommended by WHO (2009) guidelines suggesting that clean care is safer care based on WHO patient protection policy. When microbial develop an antibiotic resistance is developed, they can be transferred and spread through bacteria strains very rapidly. Studies indicate that in England and Wales, less than 2% of Staphylococcus aureus strains were methicillin-resistant in 1990 butthis figures had changed by 2002 42% of Staphylococcus aureus strains were methicillin-resistant (Alexander 2010). An estimated 300,000 cases of hospital-acquired MRSA occur each year in England leading to 5,000 deaths. MRSA is a leading cause of death ahead of HIV, TB and viral hepatitis (Boucher 2008). MRSA infection could be reported within 48 hours of admission to a hospital (Jones 2007) resulting to 43% of all skin infections reported in U.S. In 2005 in the United States reported 368,600 hospital admissions for MRSA which in cluded 94,000 cases of invasive infections. MRSA complications resulted in 18,650 deaths. The number of MRSA fatalities in 2005 surpassed the number of fatalities from hurricane Katrina and AIDS combined and is substantially higher than fatalities at the peak of the U. S. polio epidemic (Evans 2008). 2. Formulation of the Question (step1) 2.1 Concept of evidence based practice Evidence based practice has been with the health service for a very long time. Craig (2012, p. 5) opines that evidence based practice has existed since the early 19th century. The only difference with what is currently practiced however has to do with the fact that in those days, there was not as much documentation of the system and research on the issue as there is today. Today, it is known that evidence based practice has become a paradigm shift in healthcare work whereby service providers make use of modern best evidence in their decision making process about patient care that involves the use of the profes sional’s acquired expertise, patient preferences and vaules, as well as the systematic appraisal of existing research to an assigned clinical question (Bernardo, 2007, p. 375). Sackett (1996) also