Overall, the evaluation of facts suggests that the hand hygiene is crucial for the reduction of the cross-contamination from one patient to another and thus, for the improvement of the statistics on the early patient readmission problem that in its turn affects the financial performance of the hospital.
Introduction
The problem of patient readmission to the hospital after a short period has become the reason of concern in the recent period. Investigations have been conducted to find out that most of the cases occurred because of infections transmitted due to the insufficient hand hygiene practices among the personnel. In this paper, the findings from the academic resources examining similar problems in the healthcare institutions over the country will be analyzed with an objective to generate the new knowledge on how to eliminate the malignant effects of the problem and the role that the nursing professionals have in this process. Overall, the evaluation of facts suggests that the hand hygiene is crucial for the reduction of the cross-contamination from one patient to another and thus, for the improvement of the statistics on the early patient readmission problem that in its turn affects the financial performance of the hospital.
Main body
Early patient readmission, as well as patient readmission generally, is an adverse problem affecting the financial performance of the health care institutions and the problem is of special concern at the writer’s work settings. Assessment of the readmission cases has led to the conclusion that readmissions mostly occur on the reason of catching an infection in the hospital through the cross-contamination from one patient to another.
In their article towards importance of hand hygiene during invasive procedures Kilpatrick, Murdoch, and Storr (2012) state that nursing professionals have the primary engagement in the problem identified because they are the primary care providers for the patients and thus, they are the ones that have the direct contact with them and play the key role in the infection transmission. It is unthinkable to imagine but according to Holy (2011), the majority of infection cases occur due to mere hand washing avoidance or doing so in an improper way.
To resolve the existing problem, the nursing professionals need to readdress their understanding of the scope of the problem and change their daily practices by increasing the level of hand hygiene adherence (Mortell, 2012). A number of research studies showed that multiple strategies are more effective than those using education alone and thus, the action plan will include a number of steps that are to be taken to improve hand hygiene standards awareness in staff (Kilpatrick et al., 2012; Mortell, 2012). From Kilpatrick et al. (2012), control programs are needed to improve hand hygiene among staff. This includes easy accessibility of wash stations, antiseptics, and alcohol hand gel dispenser put on the walls, ongoing education and training (in services), and organizational recognition and support from management to acknowledge the compliance. After sanitation, hands should be dried carefully with one-use towels. Overall, nurses can make a difference by giving the right care starting by doing proper hand hygiene before and after each encounter.
Conclusion
To conclude, the problem of early readmission has become the major concern of financial management optimization in the hospital where the writer is employed. As hand hygiene is a fundamental component of safety measures, it should be implemented by the health care professionals to reduce the risk of infection and enhance patient safety. The best hand hygiene practice to follow and to ensure compliance is subject to many factors. The final determination per all this evidence for hand washing is that it is up to the health care provider to ensure that hand hygiene is done properly and timely.
References
Holy, C. (2011). Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare. 9(3), 276-277. Web.
Kilpatrick, C., Murdoch, H, & Storr, J. (2012). Importance of hand hygiene during invasive procedures. Nursing Standard, 26(41), 42-46.
Mortell, M. (2012). Hand hygiene compliance: is there a theory–practice-ethics gap? British Journal of Nursing, 21(17), 1011-1014.