A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays. While patients go to hospitals to get well, during their stay they can pick up an infection while being treated for something else.
No one plans to go to the hospital or an emergency room, but when an injury or illness dictates that a patient does, one should be aware of any potential risk while spending time at a hospital.
Recovery time at a hospital can put a patient at risk for a healthcare-associated infection, commonly referred to as HAI. This is a an infection incurred while being treated for another illness or injury.
HAI’s are caused by a wide variety of common or unusual bacteria, fungi, and viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HAI’s are not limited to hospitals. They can happen wherever patients receive medical care – outpatient clinics, dialysis centers, and long-term care facilities.
These infections can have emotional, financial and medical effects. Worst of all, they can be deadly. The increased ability to prevent HAI’s, however, make these infections increasingly unacceptable.
Fortunately, there are clear steps patients and healthcare providers can follow to help prevent HAI’s from occurring.
Here are 10 steps to being a safe patient according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
1. Speak up.Talk to your doctor abut any worries you may have about your safety.
2. Keep hands clean. Remind loved ones and visitors to wash their hands. Also, if you do not see a healthcare provider clean theirs, ask them to do so.
3. Ask if you still need a a central line catheter or a urinary catheter. leaving a catheter in place too long increases chances of infection.
4. Ask your healthcare provider if there will there be a new needle, new syringe, and a new vial for this procedure.
5. Be careful with medications. Avoid taking too much medicine by following package directions. Tell your healthcare provider (DRMGenesis.com) about medications you are taking.
6. Get smart about antibiotics. Do not share with other people and take them as prescribed.
7. Prepare for surgery. There are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting a surgical site infection. Talk to your doctor about this.
8. Watch out for clostridium difficile. Tell your doctor if you have sever diarrhea, especially if you are taking an antibiotic.
9. Know the signs and symptoms of infection.
10. Get your flu shot.
The CNAplus™ program in Lansing is an extension of the core Nurse Aide Training Program in Lansing, Michigan offered by DRM International Learning Center. Graduates of the CNAplus™ program will be certified in Restorative Nursing, Hospice/End-of-Life Care, Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care, and Nurse Aide Medication Administration.
DRM International Learning Center is located near downtown Lansing, Michigan, and is highly sought out for its excellent training programs. It is the vision of DRM International Learning Center to be the most respected and influential healthcare education facility in the region. Its mission is to provide effective classroom instruction in high demand healthcare fields and community courses that lead to sustainable employment and community service.
