Utilize last weeks learned knowledge and build upon it to complete this weeks assignment. Download the attached document and create your own word document by answering the questions.
This submission needs to include a cover page and reference page. Uploaded submissions are
Searching Assignment
1) Write out the PICOT question (Intervention and Meaning questions) that you will use to search for evidence.
2) What three databases did you use to search for the evidence?
3) From the PICOT questions you created, identify the first 3 keywords you used to search for evidence in the library databases.
4) Create and insert one print screen/screen shot of the search history from one database that produced and article you will use for question 5.
Example: Make sure you go to the search history tab in the database.
5) Conduct a database search & discuss 3-4 articles that you found that are a good fit to answer the PICOT and related to the clinical issue.
a) Identify the type of quantitative or qualitative study performed. Explain your choice.
b) What is the level of evidence? (Refer to the Quantitative or Qualitative Pyramids)
c) Describe the problem statement/purpose of the studies.
d) Describe the population (sample) and setting of study.
e) Describe the intervention(s) or what occurred in the study.
f) Discuss the findings of the study as they relate to the O – in the PICOT
g) Discuss how the findings have application to patient care.
6. Write out the full APA Citation for each article discussed in question 4.
Searching Assignment
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s Name
Date
Searching Assignment
Introduction
Hospital-acquired infections can have detrimental health effects on patients, hence proper measures should be in place to reduce or prevent such issues. Patients normally develop hospital-acquired infections while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions. It is the responsibility of the healthcare organization to ensure hospital-acquired infections are reduced to insignificant levels (Monegro et al., 2020). These incidences occur in all healthcare settings including ambulatory and surgical settings. Proper and frequent handwashing is one of the efficient ways of preventing cases of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). These infections are caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal pathogens (Monegro et al., 2020). These pathogens are the most common causes of bloodstream infection (BSI), pneumonia (ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP]), urinary tract infection (UTI), and surgical site infection (SSI). This paper answers all the provided questions to complete this assignment.
- PICOT Question
- Population: hospitalized patients
- Intervention: handwashing and hygiene
- Comparison: no intervention
- Outcome: reduce incidences of hospital-acquired infections
- Time (optional): three months
In hospitalized patients (P), how does hand washing and hygiene (I) compared to no intervention (C) affects the rate of hospital-acquired infections (O) over three months (T)?
Databases
The Databases that will be used to search for credible sources of evidence include:
- Google Scholar: It is a freely accessible database that provides scholarly articles from all disciplines.
- Medline: Provides credible sources of evidence related to the field of medicine, nursing, and healthcare.
- CINAHL: The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) is a good source to search when conducting a review of qualitative evidence. It is one of the most recognized databases for nurses across the world.
Keywords
- Hospital-acquired infections.
- Hand washing.
- Hand hygiene.
A screenshot of Google Scholar
Database Search and Article Analysis
The first article is “Patients’ hand washing and reducing hospital-acquired infection” by Haverstick et al. (2017). This is a quantitative study because data analysis was conducted by using SPSS version 21. Rates of HAI (MRSA, VRE, and C difficile) were compared before and after the intervention. A nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used because of the small sample size and the underpowered study. Significance was set at the .05 level. This is level III evidence because it can be categorized under quasi-experiment (Haverstick et al., 2017). Evidence obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization is level III evidence. The purpose of this study was to improve patients’ hand hygiene through the promotion and use of hand washing soap and water and hand sanitizer, or both and improve patients’ education to reduce hospital-acquired infections.
This study sample included all patients in an adult 36-bed cardiothoracic surgical step-down unit at the University of Michigan Health System, a large academic medical center in the Midwest. Unit staff nurses observed that patients need to have access to alcohol-based hand sanitizer, hand wipes, or soap and water at the bedside instead of relying on the hospital staff to allow patients to protect themselves from HAIs (Haverstick et al., 2017). Every patient received an alcohol-based hand sanitizer upon admission to the unit. A nurse guided the patient through a hand hygiene brochure prepared by the institution.
All patients who have a C difficile infection, along with visitors were instructed to wash their hands with soap and water only. during daily rounds, the unit host asked the patients if they are washing their hands. Unit leaders observed the trend of new hospital-acquired infections (Haverstick et al., 2017I). The findings of the study indicated a significant relationship between hand hygiene and infections. Compliance with handwashing and hygiene by patients reduced the incidences of hospital-acquired infections. These findings can be used to promote handwashing to improve patient outcomes.
The second article is “Compliance and knowledge of healthcare workers regarding hand hygiene and use of disinfectants: a study based in Karachi” by Ahmed et al. (2020). This was a quantitative study. Statistical analysis included the use of SPSS version 23.0, Chi-square, independent-sample t-test, percentage, and frequencies. This study was a level III evidenced because it is a quasi-experiment. The primary objective or aim of this study was to find the frequency of utilization of alcohol disinfectants by hospital staff in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan (Ahmed et al., 2020). The secondary aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of hospital staff regarding various aspects of hand hygiene. Pakistan is one of the countries where hospital-acquired infections are a major threat leading to bad patient outcomes.
The study sample included a convenience sampling of 212 participants who were included in the study after receiving informed consent. All of the 212 nurses were assured that their details and responses would remain confidential. The study was conducted at Ruth K.M. Pfau Civil Hospital in Karachi Pakistan Ahmed et al. (2020). The intervention of focus was hand hygiene by use of disinfectants. The study findings indicated that the compliance with hand disinfectant use before and after every patient contact was found to be 12.3%. Additionally, more than half (62.26%) of the participants were unenlightened about the complications of hospital-acquired infections ((Ahmed et al., 2020). This finding is important because it can be used to develop another work setting.
The third article is “Hand hygiene compliance and associated factors among health care providers in Central Gondar” by Engdaw et al. (2019). The study used statistical tools such as SPSS version 23, bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions, and others. The evidence level for this study is level IV evidence originated from well-designed case-control or cohort studies. The purpose of the study was to assess hand hygiene compliance and associated factors among health care providers in Central Gondar Zone public primary hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia.
The study sample entails all health care providers who had worked at least 6 months in the central Gondar zone public primary hospitals who were included in this study. the Intervention here also was handwashing and hygiene (Engdaw et al., 2019). The study findings indicated that hand hygiene compliance among health care providers. The study finding indicates that hand hygiene compliance among health care providers in Central Gondar Zone public primary hospital was poor (Engdaw et al., 2019). Hand hygiene is the best method for preventing healthcare-associated infections. hence. making this study very important for nurses.
Conclusion
Proper and frequent handwashing is the best way of preventing cases of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). the PICOT question asks that in hospitalized patients (P), how does hand washing and hygiene (I) compare to no intervention (C) affect the rate of hospital-acquired infections (O) over three months (T)?. All the assignment questions are done.
References
Ahmed, J., Malik, F., Memon, Z. A., Arif, T. B., Ali, A., Nasim, S., … & Khan, M. A. (2020). Compliance and knowledge of healthcare workers regarding hand hygiene and use of disinfectants: a study based in Karachi. Cureus, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.7036
Engdaw, G. T., Gebrehiwot, M., & Andualem, Z. (2019). Hand hygiene compliance and associated factors among health care providers in Central Gondar zone public primary hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 8(1), 1-7.
Haverstick, S., Goodrich, C., Freeman, R., James, S., Kullar, R., & Ahrens, M. (2017). Patients’ hand washing and reducing hospital-acquired infection. Critical care nurse, 37(3), e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2017694
Monegro, A. F., Muppidi, V., & Regunath, H. (2020). Hospital acquired infections. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441857/