The Role of Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings

 The Role of Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
DEFINITION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the process of coming up with informed medical conclusions based on evidence integrated with clinical familiarity and patient expectations (Kampf et al., 2009). The concept of EBP finds its greatest application in nursing, and it entails assessing proof and combining it with experience while considering the response of the patient in question. Influence of EBP on nursing ranges from impacting the nursing model frameworks to the general nursing practices (Aiello et al., 2008).
Impact on the general nursing practice takes a central role since it carries with it verified effectiveness in preventing illnesses cognizant of the developed and third-world countries (Aiello et al., 2008). As Aiello et al. (2008) affirm, hand hygiene practices are useful in averting gastrointestinal diseases. Secondly, nursing education gets a boost from EBP since it offers professional growth-oriented programs where one gets to update his/her experience and expertise (Aiello et al., 2008). Lastly, EBP has a greater impact on nursing research as many researchers find out the relations between washing of hands and a person’s health. Attempts to boost efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare have seen a major increase in recent days.  Aiello et al. (2008), acknowledge a funding of research by Finnish Work Environment Fund (grant 108306) and the National Institute of Health and Welfare.  The scholars further depicted the deliverables of the study as they ascertained that combining regular hand washing using soap and water coupled with good personal hygiene practices, to a large extent; minimize the incidences of self-reported severe illnesses in any confined work environment.
RATIONALE FOR THE HAND-WASHING PROGRAM
The rationale for selecting this problem attributes to increased attention to healthcare-associated infections by the healthcare practitioners, the government, and the regulatory bodies such as the World Heath Organizations (WHO). Aiello et al. (2008) ascertain that most of the infections are preventable. They add that problems regarding the magnitude of mortality rates, morbidity, and the cost associated with treatment in contrast to prevention draw their interests in this topic.  The only developments in the comprehension of the physiology of contagious illnesses, a rampant increase in multi-drug resistant strains, and the unavailability of new antimicrobials have led to a reconsideration of the role of fundamental practices for preventing infections. One of these practices is hand hygiene (Savolainen-Kopra et al., 2012)
SUMMARY OF THE READINGS
According to Savolainen-Kopra et al. (2012), execution of a proper hand hygiene program on the healthcare prevents nosocomial infections. The scholars further illustrated the effectiveness of hand hygiene in minimizing gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. Due to the success associated with this approach, studies evaluating how hygienic practices, respiratory illness, and interventions relates while focusing on the aerosol transmission are required.
Aiello et al. (2008) have foci on the risk possibility associated with hand hygiene on infectious diseases in an environment that is primarily on gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses. Accordingly, Aiello et al. (2008) advancements in hand hygiene practices reaped benefits as gastrointestinal disease analyzed to be at 31% and respiratory illness at 21% reduced greatly with success associated with education on hand hygiene using no antibacterial soap. These authors look at how effective hand hygiene is depending on specific intervention and the symptoms displayed by the infectious illness. Evaluation is also done to verify the effectiveness of antibacterial soap in contrast to non-antibacterial soap. In essence, Aiello et al. (2008) concede that there is no evidence to back up the idea, and hand hygiene practices are effective for inhibiting gastrointestinal illnesses. Despite this, the ideology depicts that hand hygiene suffices in curbing respiratory infections. Hence, it does not encourage the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in control of gastrointestinal infections.
Savolainen-Kopra et al. (2012) recommend behaviors which can be integrated with hand washing with soap and water to prevent infections in workplace arena. Behaviors of interest here are shaking hands, coughing and sneezing (Savolainen-Kopra et al., 2012). Respiratory and diarrheal infections are common in the workplace. These infections are traced back to droplets attributed to coughing and sneezing (Savolainen-Kopra et al., 2012). A study carried out in an attempt to reduce transmission involved proper hand hygiene practices integrated with behavioral suggestion while absence from work acted as a control element. In this course, the intervention test signified a decrease in infections. More so when those strategies attributed to r