Infection Control: Standard Precautions - A Demonstration Tutorial
This tutorial details what standard precautions are and when and how to implement them. It is suitable for all health care workers and is based on the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, 2010.
Category: Infection control, Occupational health & safety, Preventative Health Care
3 CPD hours
3 CNA points
Health care associated infections (HAIs) are the most common complication affecting patients in Australian hospitals, with about 200,000 HAIs a year causing unnecessary pain and suffering and prolonging hospital stays at great cost to the health system.Standard and transmission-based precautions are crucial to the prevention and control of HAIs, and all staff should know when and how to apply them. All health care settings should also implement individually appropriate strategies to manage the risk of HAIs being spread or acquired by all staff, patients and visitors.
This tutorial details what standard precautions are and when and how to implement them. It is suitable for all health care workers and is based on the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, 2010. [1]
Transmission-based precautions are applied in addition to standard precautions if patients are known or suspected to be infected by agents that may not be contained by standard precautions alone. This tutorial does not deal with transmission-based precautions, nor does it deal with the reprocessing of reusable medical equipment and instruments. These two topics are the subject of separate infection control tutorials.
Janet Hitchener RN, RM, RNNIC, Grad Dip (NSG), Mbioeth, Dip OH&S.
Janet has a strong background in senior health management and quality improvement in health care. She is a qualified neonatal nurse and midwife. Janet is the Managing Director of Accreditation Specialists, a company that provides advice and services on quality improvement in health care. Janet has worked extensively in the areas of clinical governance and management.
Louise Roberts BA (Law)
Louise is a professional health care writer and editor. Her experience includes being the chief sub-editor of the Nursing Standard, production editor of the Nursing Times, editing and writing for the World Wide Wounds website and various European Wound Management Association publications.
- Know how infectious diseases are spread.
- Know what standard precautions are and when they should be applied.
- Know how to perform a routine hand rub and hand wash, and an aseptic hand wash.
- Be able to identify when the use of personal protective equipment is required.
- Know which personal protective equipment is appropriate in any given circumstance.
- Understand the importance of the safe disposal of sharps.
chandani: Jan 19, 2012 at 06:47 PM
I want to know more about infection control-standard precautions.
rgowden: Mar 12, 2012 at 09:28 PM
i want to refresh knowledge of infection control
greynurse: Apr 02, 2012 at 04:47 PM
I want to keep updated on infection control
Jan Gerussi: Apr 12, 2012 at 11:20 AM
To keep my skills up-to-date
DEB48: Apr 23, 2012 at 01:56 AM
I want to refresh knowledge of infection control
usha: Apr 23, 2012 at 10:27 AM
i want to improve my knowledge
yturner5: May 01, 2012 at 04:47 PM
i want to update my knowledge regarding standard prescautions
SueWeller: May 08, 2012 at 08:07 PM
I would like to refresh and update my infection control knowledge
carlah: May 11, 2012 at 01:17 AM
Update of skills.