Reply to Emma Aleksanyan
Hey Emma,
Thanks for sharing! I liked your choice of hygiene as a quality improvement strategy, especially when dealing with terminally ill patients. I agree that although the practice is simple, it plays a significant role in reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), which could worsen the patient’s situation. Patients are at risk of developing HAIs due to poor hand hygiene at may catch infections like catheter-associated urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections. HAIs can also be reduced by encouraging healthcare professionals to engage in best practices, including careful insertion, prompt removal, and proper maintenance of catheters (Dixon, 2011).
References
Dixon, R. E. (2011). Control of health-care-associated infections, 1961-2011. MMWR Surveill Summ, 60(Suppl 4), 58-63.
Reply to Christine Vergara
Hello Christine,
Your post was informative and educative as it addresses the need for the healthcare team and patients to take influenza vaccines. This quality improvement technique can be effective in promoting a healthy workforce and reduce clinical visits for patients with a high risk of contracting the infection. Concerning leadership, I agree that leaders should facilitate a better work environment to reduce turnovers and save on the money spent on training new staff. Leaders should also inspire their workers to go the extra mile as they perform their daily tasks. According to Curtis and O’Connell (2011), leaders can motivate their staff by recognizing them through rewards thus raising their self-esteem.
References
Curtis, E., & O’Connell, R. (2011). Essential leadership skills for motivating and developing staff. Nursing Management, 18(5).