Hospital-acquired infections contribute to significant morbidity, mortality, and cost for treatment issues to any patient in a hospital. It is a global phenomenon that can be controlled significantly by correct infection control practices including hand hygiene.
Hospital-acquired infections are the leading cause of transmission of infection from one patient to another in a hospital especially to vulnerable populations like geriatric, neonates and other immune-compromised hosts.
In hospital or nursing home, grass-root caregiver to patients is a nurse along with other non-professional staff. It is recognized that Nurses can contribute significantly to control this global menace by educating themselves and the other sub-ordinate staff and at times to even doctors.
To impart best infection control practices to nurse’s HCG cancer hospital Nagpur conducted CME for nurses on infection control 14 December 2019. The event was even attended by the nursing staff from various hospitals of all-around Nagpur.
The session was inaugurated by Dr.Suchitra Mehta, director of HCG cancer hospital Nagpur. Dr.Ajay Mehta, Director and HOD oncosurgery, motivated the nurses about their important role in the chain of events in the transmission of infection.
Dr.Shubhangi Bansod Microbiologist and infection control officer at HCG cancer hospital presented deliberation on how nurses play a lead role in infection prevention in hospitals and why good personal hygiene is important for Nurses by which they can contribute to an overall reduction in hospital-acquired infections.
Dr. Jitesh Khandrani, Consultant Intensive Care and anaesthesiology, HCG NCHRI, spoke on bloodstream infection by central line and techniques to reduce it. He, in simple language, explained to the nurses, how to take care of the central line (a line placed in a major blood vessel in a critically ill patient) in hospitals and ways nurses can be the first person to diagnose central line-related bloodstream infection at the bedside.
CME had two guest speakers, Dr.Anantsingh Rajput, Director, Aureus hospital, Nagpur who in detail explained the infections occurring in operation theatre and discussed various modern methods and protocols to be followed to keep operation theatre free from germs. Second guest speaker, Sister Pranita Dabarse, Nursing superintendent of Alexis hospital, Nagpur discoursed various air born infections occurring in hospitals and ways nurses can prevent them as well as the patient from getting diseased.
For the first time CME also had various hands-on experience work station for Nurses, where they were trained on-site about various newer devices used today to prevent infection in ward and intensive care unit and along with tour to central sterilization department of HCG cancer hospital Nagpur to help them to understand how various methods and machines are used to clean and sterilize instruments which are used in surgery.
Overall, the learning experience of Nurses was tremendous with a significant contribution to awareness and training for safe infection control practices. Dr. Jitesh Khandarani, also the organizing chairman of the workshop intends to make this an annual event for the benefit of all Nurses.
Special efforts were put by Dr.Ritesh Patil Consultant Anaesthesiologist HCG Cancer hospital, Sister Cynthia Paul Nursing Superintendent HCG cancer Hospital and Sister Stella Marry infection control nurse HCG cancer hospital to make this program a grand success.