Nursing Global Conference

Infection prevention and control are crucial components of the nursing practice that guarantees safe treatment delivery and prevents or does not spread or develop healthcare-associated infections. This session talks about guidelines on nurses' adequate infection control in health care settings.

The nurses, within the health facility settings, play a central role in identifying, preventing, and controlling infections. One of the first steps for infection control is an understanding of chain of infection and its components, namely, infectious agent, reservoir, exit portal, mode of transmission, entry portal, and susceptible host. Nurses break that chain at any one point and limit potential new infections. There are some of the most fundamental infection control concepts that include hand hygiene, proper application of personal protective equipment, and standard and transmission-based precautions. Above all, hand hygiene is the most elementary measure that can be adopted for preventing infections with the highest infection prevention capability since any national nursing protocol insists on the necessity of hand hygiene.

As such, infection control practices also extend to the sterilizing and disinfecting of medical equipment just like in patient areas. Nursing personnel receive training on cleaning, disinfecting, and disposing of potentially infectious material. Potential infection sites include surgical units, intensive care units, and immunocompromised-patient care treatment. These practices will, therefore, involve minimum cross-contamination, and this environment will be safer for all.

Education and communication are the most prominent in infection control in the nursing profession. Nurses teach patients and their families the simple infection control practice relating to wound management, respiratory hygiene, and vaccinations. Nurses also collaborate with other health care professionals to teach them possible infections and new infection control practices. Periodic training and practice exercise help the nursing staff to respond quickly and appropriately if an infection were to occur.

This session will cater to infection prevention best practices, including isolation protocols, sterilization techniques, and implementation of evidence-based guidelines. These topics comprise infection control strategies in various healthcare settings, updates regarding standards for PPE, and recommendations on the management of infectious outbreaks. Nurses, if observed and followed appropriately, will play a monumental role in reducing healthcare-associated infections, thereby bringing about a much safer setting in healthcare.

These guidelines should offer an integrated approach for nurses who have ensured observance of the standards relating to infection prevention and control, thereby safeguarding the safety of patients and health workers.