Nursing

Web site spotlight: Protecting your work force from MDRO infections

Nurse Manager Weekly, October 5, 2009

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In recent years, multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) have come under increased scrutiny, particularly in hospitals. As more infections become progressively resistant to antibiotics, the need to prevent and control these infections in other ways increases.

Because of The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG), specifically NPSG.07.03.01, which focuses on MDRO prevention, hospitals are well aware of the dangers these resistant organisms pose to susceptible patients.

Studies have shown that MRSA bacteria can survive on dry inanimate objects anywhere from seven days to seven months. VRE can live on a surface for five days to four months and C.diff spores can live for five months.

Although much of the focus on MDROs revolves around patient safety, workers put themselves at risk for easily transmittable infections such as MRSA on a daily basis. Without the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand hygiene, healthcare workers put their patients and themselves at risk for infection.

 

Editor?s note: To read the rest of this article, visit ?Protecting your work force from MDRO infections? found in The Reading Room at www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com. Do you need continuing education (CE) credits? Check out this month?s CE article to learn about flu pandemic preparation or visit our archives and view a compilation of CE articles  (marked with an asterisk).



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