Nursing Policy Analysis Paper on Health associated infection
Background
Health associated infection is a critical public health challenge that United States is facing because of the large number of deaths that it results to among patients. When talking about health associated infections, these are the infections that many patients across the nation acquire in health care facilities while they are in the process of receiving treatment (WHO, n.d). Studies have revealed that 1 among 20 patients are always at a risk of being infected when receiving treatment in any of the hospitals in the nation (CDC, 2011). As a result, this not only increases the rate of death in the nation, but also increases the medical costs up to about $33 billion on a yearly basis. However, the shocking truth is that there is much that can be done to prevent these infections. There is a need to come up with a comprehensive program that is geared towards eliminating health associated infections.
Content of policies
The first task of this particular policy will be to identify the right program that will help in ratifying the health care problem regarding infections of patients as they undergo through treatment. In this case, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) needs to come up with an appropriate strategy that would help solve the problem. They should evaluate the ways in which the lack of adherence to healthcare standards are putting more patients at a risk of death and come up with the right strategies that can be employed by everyone in the healthcare sector to solve this underlying problem. At the same time, national health drivers should also be involved in evaluating the health associated infection legislations that will bring about a lasting solution.
The policy should address ethical issues when it comes to care. For instance, the medical healthcare providers should ensure that all the instruments that they use to treat their patients are properly sterilized. This will place the needs of health care consumers of achieving good health first. The American citizens will, therefore, have nothing to worry about regarding being infected by various infections while undergoing treatment. Healthcare in the nation is currently accessible though not affordable to the poor population who do not have health insurance. The issue regarding health associated infections has made people to question the appropriateness of healthcare in the country.
Role play in Health Associated Infections
The health agencies in the state are responsible for ensuring that health associated infections are eliminated because they have a duty to protect all the patients across the nation. They, therefore, act as a bridge between the community and healthcare. The health officials in the country can consider coming up with appropriate tools such as legal and policy interventions to promote the principles of transparency, safety and accountability that are crucial in eliminating health associated infections. For instance, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, was formed mainly to emphasize on the health associated infection prevention through various programs with the national health care institutions (CDC, 2011).
However, the health agencies have fall short by not forming the right program to create awareness of the ways in which health associated infection can be prevented in the nation for the good of everyone. The system of care in the nation has therefore remained less competent as more patients are at a risk of acquiring infections while undergoing treatment. If the problem continues to persist, then it means that the system of care in delivery of care on all levels from individual staff to administration is wanting and not efficient as expected. Studies have revealed that the system is more responsive to some than others especially those individuals with insurance while the poor do not receive efficient care as expected thus are at a more risk of developing health associated infections.
Capacity of Health Associated Infection Policy.
The state health agencies will use the policy interventions program to come up with new rules and regulations that are required to engage in activities that are intended towards health associated infection prevention (CDC, 2016). This will ensure that quality of care and access to care is improved throughout the nation. The policy will ensure that the nurses values regarding caring, collaboration, high-touch care and collectivity is highly maintained in all health care institution to reduce infections among patients (WHO, n.d). At the same time, the policy of intervention will reflect the ethics of care philosophy and principles by ensuring that all the health care providers use appropriate methods of treating patients to minimize cases of infection. There should be strong and powerful relations between those in need of care and the individuals who are providing care in order for the intervention methods to turn out effective.
The policy of intervention also informs the patients regarding what to look for when they are being treated. They should ensure that they ask the health care providers appropriate questions to know what kind of services is being offered to them. This empowers them to eliminate ignorance when it comes to health care provision. At the same time, the nursing care providers through proper collaboration with the patients and health care system ensures that the right tools are provided to them to deliver sufficient and comprehensive care to the patients. In order to eliminate any form s of gap in care, the policy has set rules and regulations that everyone has to follow to ensure ethical issues involving care delivery is eliminated.
References
CDC. (2011). Eliminating healthcare associated infections: State policy options. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/toolkits/toolkit-hai-policy-final_03-2011.pdf
CDC. (2016, July 25). State-based HAI prevention activities. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/hai/state-based/index.html
WHO. (n.d).Health care-associated infections fact sheet. http://www.who.int/gpsc/country_work/gpsc_ccisc_fact_sheet_en.pdf