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NURS FPX 8045 Assessment 4
Identification of the Practice Gap
Indeed, the compliance practice of healthcare workers in Kootenai Health is significantly lower when it comes to practicing hand hygiene, which is a significant concern for the safety of patients. The above is a clear illustration of how the two contradicting measures of efficacy, cost, and time affected the performance of the county’s hospitals.
Multiple studies suggest that low levels of hand hygiene correlate with the incidence of HAIs, which in turn cause more extended hospitalizations for patients, increased costs to healthcare systems, and possibly increased patient mortality (Han et al., 2021).
The difference is clear and highlights a significant GAP that must be addressed concerning hand hygiene in the organization. The fact that the obtained average handwashing score is lower than the optimal one means that the problem of improper use of alcohol-based hand rubs occupies a central place in the hierarchy of threats facing healthcare facilities. This practice gap calls for urgent action and intervention to protect patients’ well-being and enhance care delivery at Kootenai Health.
Everything discussed above referenced the particular practice gap identified at Kootenai Health, arguing that it constitutes a significant issue in healthcare organizations nationally and internationally. Scholarship works are underpinned by the importance of hand washing in healthcare facilities to mitigate the occurrence of HAIs, as stated by Haque et al. (2020).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the national level, both healthcare-associated infections are relatively widespread, as daily, one of 31 hospital patients has at least one such infection (CDC, 2024). The difference between the current score in washing hands in Kootenai Health and the national levels of practice implies that this establishment experiences challenges in promoting correct compliance with washing practices.
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These challenges could be in the form of lack of professional training, absence of adequate working equipment/tools, or organizational culture. Thus, to fill the above gap, a strategic analysis of Kootenai Heal needs to be undertaken. At the same time, I apply best practices that have been adopted across different healthcare organizations.
Supporting Evidence
The board finds that there is significant noncompliance with hand hygiene amongst the care providers at Kootenai Health, which is a straightforward recipe for disaster for the clients. From the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade (2023), the Kootenai Health body wash compliance index is surprisingly low at forty, which is hugely below the mean of seventy-seven.
32 among hospitals and far from the best performer of the hospital, scoring 110. The published literature provides strong evidence that suboptimal hand hygiene has a clear association with HAIs, resulting in more extended hospitalization, higher costs in the healthcare sector, as well as potential death among patients (Han et al., 2021).
The contrast expressed here is essential in emphasizing a gap within the organization with regard to proper hand washing. Thus, the suboptimal handwashing score demonstrates the problem with the system of appropriate compliance with hand hygiene measures as an essential component of HAI prevention. Therefore, this practice gap requires an urgent multi-faceted approach that would help preserve and enhance the safety of patients and the quality of health care at Kootenai Health.
The PID mentioned at Kootenai Health indicates that the issue of interrupted medication administration is crucial in healthcare facilities across the United States and beyond. For instance, Haque et al. (2020) stress the importance of handwashing antiseptic care in combating the depreciation of the pathogen spread and HAIs in healthcare facilities.
The CDC at the national level has noted that daily, one in thirty-one hospital patients has at least one HAI, which shows how rampant this problem is (CDC, 2024). The specialization of Kootenai Health score to hand washing and the observed national average indicate that this facility experiences a variety of barriers in employing and maintaining adequate hand hygiene standards.
Such challenges may involve Poor training, lack of enough, or poor organizational culture to embrace the change. This shall be done comprehensively with respect to Kootenai Health as well as with regard to available practices effectively implemented in similar healthcare organizations.
PICOT Question
To what extent does carrying out a complex hand hygiene intervention (I) as opposed to the usual practice (C) in a facility: Kootenai Health (P) control the frequency of acquiring HC-A (O) within 12 weeks (T)?
Interprofessional Communication
They engaged all the key stakeholders in different activities using different techniques in order to capture their opinions. The approaches that were employed in implementing the solution included but were not limited to holding weekly meetings with the Kootenai Health employees concerning nursing, infection control, and administrative departments.
NURS FPX 8045 Assessment 4 Interprofessional Communication and Practice Gap
From the sessions that were organized, the stakeholders could express their opinions and ideas and even make recommendations on how to enhance the system. Paper and electronic surveys were used and sent to participants to provide feedback without personal identification, thus allowing all stakeholders to offer their opinions, according to McAlearney, An0, An1, An2, & An3 (2020).
This was made possible by ensuring that face-to-face meetings were used hand in hand with electronic surveys. Hence, various attitudes toward the idea were obtained, and there were many ways in which the stakeholders could contribute to the study. Business meetings gave stakeholders the ability to discuss and clear up their thoughts on the spot, establish rapport, and create teamwork.
In contrast, electronic surveys did not reveal the participants’ identities to the researcher. This may lead to more truthful responses, especially if the issues touched on the heart of the respondent’s organizational experience. Both approaches meant that stakeholders became more involved and invested in the process, which promoted the discovery of all of the critical organizational needs.
As was also seen while identifying the effectiveness of the specific modes and communication styles of the members, the face-to-face discussions and meetings were more productive for starting up dialogue as well as for developing rapport with other stakeholders.
In face-to-face interactions, people can speak out about their ideas and even participate in discussions about various solutions. In support of Ahmed’s (2020) study, it was found that non-verbal communication, such as gestures and body language, was helpful for the enhanced comprehension of stakeholders’ attitudes.
Face-to-face meetings were enormously influential because they were participative, thus achieving buy-in from stakeholders. Also, feedback and elaboration of ideas could be given on the spot, which can make the processes of discussion and decision-making more effective. While speaking of meetings, it is critical to underline that with this type of project, it will be essential to focus on face-to-face communication as the primary channel to ensure all stakeholders remain actively engaged and produce tangible results.
Conclusion
This paper has illustrated the significance of focusing on the practice gap in hand hygiene compliance at Kootenai Health. Through a practical approach, touching on the framework of NMHD and using ICM, much could be achieved in enhancing hand washing among healthcare workers.
Cleansing can only be attained if sustainable solutions are put into practice through consultation with the key stakeholders and implementation of practical and evidence-based interventions that contribute to the improvement of patient safety in the hospital and consequently decrease the rates of HAIs.
Thus, communication and cooperation will have to remain the primary focus for enhancing the continuation of proper hand hygiene compliance and administrative development of the healthcare organization.
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References
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CDC. (2024, May 20). HAIs: Reports and data. CDC.
Han, C., Song, Q., Meng, X., Lv, Y., Hu, D., Jiang, X., & Sun, L. (2021). Effects of a 4-year intervention on hand hygiene compliance and incidence of healthcare-associated infections: A longitudinal study. Infection, 49(5).
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https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S269315
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http://www.kh.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2019-NursingAnnualReport.pdf
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. (2023). Kootenai Health – ID – Hospital Safety Grade. Www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.
https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/h/kootenai-health
McAlearney, A. S., Gaughan, A. A., DePuccio, M. J., MacEwan, S. R., Hebert, C., & Walker, D. M. (2020). Management practices for leaders to promote infection prevention: Lessons from a qualitative study. American Journal of Infection Control, 49(5), 536–541.
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