Background: Basic hygiene is an important measure to prevent healthcare associated infections, save patients’ lives, and reduce economic costs for health care. Healthcare associated infections are a threat to patient safety. In community care persons who are the care takers are a risk group and nurses must make sure that basic hygiene procedures are followed. Method: Literature studies with descriptive design, article search in databases Cinahl and PubMed. The results found are based on twelve chosen articles. Aim: To describe factors related to adherence to basic hygiene and how nurses in community care can help to improve compliance with these procedures. Results: In the nursing staff and leadership in health care interest in and the understanding of basic hygiene is described as being of most importance. Lack of knowledge of the meaning of patient care cleanliness, negative attitudes and non-existing availability of necessary tools and heavy workload had a negative impact. Intensified education and making sure that equipment is available as well as the application of standardized methods, were found to be prerequisite for adherence to basic hygiene routines. Conclusion: Nurses can contribute to improved adherence to basic hygiene routines by promoting education, positive attitudes, a positive adaption of the physical environment, strategic structuring of the workload, and standardized methods, applying basic hygiene routines, being part of and promoting increased interaction in nursing care. Suggestions for future studies is to implement web-based courses, updating courses and training in basic hygiene routines in the workplace. That may increase knowledge, understanding and awareness of the application of basic hygiene routines hence leading to improved nursing care and enhancing patient safety.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hig-17592 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Öhman, Louisa |
| Publisher | Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för hälso- och vårdvetenskap |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
Page generated in 0.0025 seconds