Nurses’ Training and patient outcomes for Nurses’ day

Many Infusion teams are being established in India’s hospitals and registered nurses, under INS India, have been undergoing special certification on IV therapy training, specialized care and counselling for patients who require intravenous treatment and catheterization.

“Nurses are an integral part of our healthcare system. They are exposed to very high risk environment in the hospitals, pertaining to various infections and communicable diseases. It is important for nurses to safeguard themselves from hazards since they are involved in keeping a patient healthy.

The nature of nurses' work is highly stressing and demanding and they are prone to human errors while providing care. Thus, nurses should be given the proper training and skills and should follow safety guidelines to ensure optimum quality of patient care” says Col. Binu Sharma, President, Infusion Nurses Society, India.

In a first of its kind initiative in the country, ICF (Infection Control Forum) has been formed to address an emerging need of hospitals and nursing homes. Guidelines have been put together- titled ‘Minimum Essential Standards in Infection Control for Healthcare Institutions’ that are adapted from globally accepted evidence-based guidelines.

This guidebook is acting as an enabler for hospitals, healthcare professionals and nursing homes. It provides specific recommendations related to hand hygiene, safe use and disposal of medical equipment and instruments, waste management and prevention of blood stream infections and beyond.

The first Infection Control Forum was formed in Coimbatore (ICF-CBE) - country's first cross-functional forum of 6 hospitals infection control committees of an individual city. The six hospitals of ICF comprised of GKNM, KMCH, PSG, Ganga, KG and Ramakrishna.

Successful implementation of these guidelines is expected to reduce morbidity, hospital stay, cost and contribute to a reduction in mortality, which are a result of such infection have been drafted keeping in mind the various limitations that nursing homes face in terms of man-power shortage, infrastructure limitations and the like.

The nursing homes can now overcome operational and technical challenges to ensure that basic infection control practices and patient safety features are implemented. With appropriate guidelines and protocols, the challenges and hurdles in patient care can be overcome. There are many studies which show that there is a correlation between nurses’ education and training and better patient outcomes.

It is necessary for healthcare providers and caretakers to identify gaps and provide appropriate skills that help in the treatment of patients. Emphasising and ensuring the skilling of the present and future nursing workforce is a significant factor for achieving quality care for patients.