Clinical Nursing Practice Problem
In the present situation associated with the global pandemic of COVID-19, it is imperative to increase the quality and the safety of patient precaution measures within clinical settings. The increased severity of hand hygiene practices, as well as the use of protective equipment, must ensure the prevention of COVID-19 spreading in clinical settings, where individuals are already subjected to compromised immunity statuses. Therefore, new guidelines for clinical nurses are necessary to establish to work in favor of nurses and the settings in which they operate on a regular basis.
Evidence Retrieval Process and Summary
The study by Liu et al. (2020) is among the first scholarly articles that focused on exploring recommendations for precaution measures to be implemented in healthcare settings. While the scholars concentrate on recommendations for surgery, their findings are relevant for the current PICOT question. The article underlines the need for changing surgical practices across the world, bringing new methods and protocols, as well as combatting the transmission of COVID-19.
The study by Guo et al. (2020) is also important for the PICOT question because the scholars include the discussion on the origins, transmission, and clinical interventions for preventing COVID-19. The researchers acknowledge the fact that prevention and treatment methods are limited; however, they discuss the already available methods that could be useful.
The pieces of evidence from the research are relevant for the current research because the information was presented by professionals from China, a country that successfully managed to deal with the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Implications of the Evidence
The evidence collected on the prevention of virus infections in clinical settings suggests that hospital visits cannot be prevented due to the occurrence of emergencies and other health complications. It is expected that patients with the symptoms of respiratory problems will be treated differently and given private rooms before a diagnosis is confirmed. Primary protection methods, ranging from gloves to masks, must be provided to all patients and personnel (WHO, 2020). The work uniform should be disposable for easy changes after patient visits. Sanitizing solutions should be included in all rooms and floors for easy access to patients and nurses. Ventilation must be consistent and effective.
It is imperative to focus on COVID-19 precautions within clinical settings because the problem is not expected to disappear immediately. Hospitals will have to adjust to new routines and safety measures to ensure that the patients entering the settings, as well as nurses working within them, are protected.
The nursing evidence-based committee should pay attention to this nursing practice problem because the issue is new, and there is a lack of research evidence available to support the implementation of best practices. Since COVID-19 remains a novel virus against which there is no treatment yet, effective and consistent measures of safeguarding and prevention present the most appropriate solutions at this time.
References
Guo, Y. R., Cao, Q. D., Hong, Z. S., Tan, Y. Y., Chen, S. D., Jin, H. J., Tan, K. S., Wang, D. Y., & Yan, Y. (2020). The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak – An update on the status. Military Medical Research, 7(1), 11.
Liu, Z., Zhang, Y., Wang, X., Zhang, D., Diao, D., Chandramohan, K., & Booth, C. M. (2020). Recommendations for surgery during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. The Indian Journal of Surgery, 1-5.
WHO. (2020). Rational use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and considerations during severe shortages. Web.