Presenting Change

Our project was done on infection control. We created posters that were posted to the unit that we did our NSG 456 clinical rotation on. These posters included ways to help prevent the spread of infections in the hospital setting. A survey monkey link was put on the poster to track the response to the information given. The data from the survey is still pending. It is unfortunate that we could not be there to see the posters and how the staff will respond to them. We did receive some feedback from our clinical instructor, which will be helpful to apply for future projects. She said that the length of time of washing hands is actually longer than singing happy birthday, which is a common recommendation. This might be an interesting fact to add to the poster. She also stated that next time, to not forget that skin and wound infections can be considered hospital acquired. 

            What we learned from this project can be applied to the rest of our nursing careers. Hospital acquired infections are a big problem and is something that needs to be addressed. What I learned most is that sometimes just simple things can help prevent the spread of infections. In my future nursing practice, I will be sure to thoroughly wash my hands and follow the hospital protocols for infection prevention. As a new nurse, it is important to be upfront about your plans in ways to contribute to quality improvement and initiating evidence-based practice. 

            For this project, I believed that out team worked well together. As a team member, I was there to put in the amount of work necessary to make sure our project was done well. It was getting hard towards the end of the semester when we all had different schedules and preceptorship to worry about. In the end, I believe we did a good job working together and making sure that the project was up to our standards.

Disaster Nursing

Nurses play many roles when it comes to different forms of disasters. One of the primary parts in disaster nursing is emergency preparedness. The best way to respond efficiently is having a well thought out plan that is well known among staff and has been practiced. Collaboration is a key element for establishing and facilitating a good disaster paln. During a disaster, a nurse must coordinate communication between the care team and the patient. The nurse must be an advocate for the patient and educate them on how to stay safe after they leave. Provision 2 of the ANA code of ethics says that a nurse’s primary responsibility is to their patient, so it is important that they do everything they can to keep the patient safe. Also stated in the code of ethics is that a nurse owes the same duty to themselves. If a nurse is unable to care for themselves, then it is impossible for them to give the best care to their patients. For example, during this pandemic, nurses are working long hours and overtime shifts sometimes without breaks. If a person is not well rested, their body and mind will not have the capacity to do their best work. So not only is this detrimental to the nurse, but also to the patient. I am a strong advocate for people, and nurses in particular, to take care of themselves to the best of their ability so they can do the same for others. It is only fair that we treat ourselves in the same way we plan to treat others. 

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