Articles
Introduction
Years of research have established that the transmission of pathogens in health facilities may be due to the medical equipments. Blood pressure cuffs have been identified as the potential transmitters of pathogens within the hospital settings. This paper will examine how pathogens are transmitted in hospitals and it will address how the research is significant to nursing. In addition to this, this paper will address the ethical consideration in relation to the studies.
Background of study
Problem (Reason for Studying this Problem)
In the study of the blood pressure cuff by Victoria Base-Smith, it talks about how the hospital management fails to sanitize or replace the blood pressure cuff. In some studies conducted, it was established that the blood pressure cuffs are potential sources of nosocomial infections (Estes, 2014). In one of the study of the presumed sanitized blood pressure, cuffs were evaluated for any contamination of both organic and inorganic remains. The result showed that bacteria could not occur on clean blood pressure cuffs. In other studies conducted in the early 1960s, results show that hospital equipments could be disseminators of bacteria and other microorganisms. This means that the blood pressure cuffs could transmit bacterial related disease between patients.
In many health facilities, most of the health items that come directly into contact with other patients are replaced or sanitized except for the blood pressure cuffs. Due to this, it is possible that bacterial accumulation exists in the blood pressure cuffs and it is enhanced after several uses of the item by several patients. In this study, it was found out that blood pressure is one of the main transmitters of pathogens between patients. In addition to this, the transmission may also occur from one staff to another. In one of the researches, it was determined that infectious diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the world. Victoria Base-Smith identifies that the blood pressure cuffs are a host of bacteria and there are no other hospital equipments that is employed more without disinfections.
Significance to Nursing
The ability of the nurses to understand how bacteria and other microorganism are transmitted within the hospital will assist the hospital management in managing the transmission. Cases of bacterial infection and transmission related with blood pressure cuffs have been recorded in hospitals. This study is significant to nursing because it helps the nurses understand how microorganism-causing diseases are transmitted within the hospital (Garber et al. 2010). In nursing practice, it is critical for the nurses to establish maximum care to their patients. Through examining and identifying how diseases are transmitted, the nurses are able to fulfill their roles and duties within the health facility.
It is essential for the hospital staff to ensure that all the equipments that are in contact with patients are cleaned or replaced. Through this, the nurses would be able to reduce the rate in which infection is transmitted within the hospital. The primary goal of nurses is to provide maximum care to the patients (Garber et al. 2010). The research helps to establish new changes in the nursing practice. The nurses are able to take maximum care of their patients. This research provides the knowledge of how the nursing community can be able to prevent the spread of pathogens in their field.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to establish the main transmission of pathogens in a hospital. According to the study, it has been established that medical items that have been in use on other patients may be the cause of the transmission of pathogens. This is because the medical items are not cleaned before being used for other patients. Another purpose of this research is to determine how nursing could be improved to meet the goals of health care. The research may assist in developing and promoting the required standards in patient care.
Objectives of the Study: Research Questions
The research objectives of this study are to establish solutions on how to prevent the transmission of pathogens within the hospital settings where the nurses are located. This study aims to establish:
• The vulnerability of the health professionals to the infectious disease and how they will be able to provide maximum care to the patients. • Alternative solution to preventive measures within the hospital set up.
Method of Study
Quantitative methods were applied in this research. The research was conducted in a health facility of 707-bed in a level one Trauma department. The sampling process was conducted in eight areas. The areas that were examined for the blood pressure cuff include ICU, operations rooms, SICU, BSICU, CICU, ER, PACU, and NSICU.
Sampling
On the possible 124 bedside blood pressure cuffs, only 70 of the blood pressure cuffs were picked. Each of the 10 medical items picked were sampled in the Operation rooms, PACU, BSICU, MICU, and the ER.
Results of the Study
It was established that on the 10 medical items located in different areas of the hospital were contaminated. In the 70 different cultures picked in more than six weeks, bacterial colonization existed in an estimate of 81% of the cuffs. Another observatio
n is that the 32% of the clean medical items were recorded to be contaminated with both organic and inorganic materials.
Implications for nursing
This study is significant to the nursing profession because it determines how pathogens are transmitted to the health facility. The essence of conducting this research is important in nursing. It is critical to note that nurses work in different settings of a health facility. The nurses are usually in contact with different hospital equipments. The blood pressure cuffs are one of them. This will assist the nurses to determine effective methods of reducing infections in health facilities.
Ethical Considerations
The society requires the researchers and scientists to follow the basic ethical requirements when involved in a research. Researchers must be able to consider whether their experiments are harmful to people or animals. Ethics is defined as a structure of moral values. In nursing, it is required that the nurses adhere to the code of ethics during their professional practice (Garber et al. 2010). During the research, the researchers should make sure that the experiments in different areas of the hospitals do not interfere with hospital activities. Both the directors and the review board approved the experiments to be conducted in the hospital.
Conclusion
In conclusion, blood pressure cuff have been identified to be transmitters of pathogens in hospitals. Micro causing organism can be transmitted through the cuffs from patient to patient or from one staff to the other. Prevention is the only effective way of reducing the transmission of the pathogens. The result of this research indicates that the nurses should be more careful when handling these equipments.
References
Estes, M. E. Z. (2014). Health assessment & physical examination. Garber, J. S., Gross, M., & Slonim, A. D. (2010). Avoiding common nursing errors. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
