Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

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Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

Problem Statement and Definition

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected day-to-day life and overburdened the healthcare system due to its rapid spread and high death rate. Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been on the frontline in treating COVID-19 patients, which exposes them to the risk of contracting the disease as they attend the patients or come into contact with laboratory specimens such as saliva or bodily secretions. The World Health Organization proposed several measures to control the spread of COVID-19. One of the primary preventive measures is hand washing with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds (CDC 2020). Hands are a critical vector in the transmission of microorganisms to others when not effectively washed. There is ample evidence that proper hand washing is effective in preventing the spread of infections. Several awareness campaigns have been in place to encourage hand hygiene practice since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, adherence to hand washing among HCWs has remained an area requiring improvement in the organization. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

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Review of current peer-reviewed research articles on hand washing

Lin et al. (2020) did a study to investigate whether Google searches for “wash hands” would protect against an increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The study hypothesized that population health literacy would be reflected in Google keyword searching. Study findings revealed that increased Google searches for “wash hands” correlated with a lower rate in the spread of COVID-19 a month after the searches, highlighting the significance of creating public awareness of hand washing in controlling the spread of COVID-19. Sahiledengle et al. (2020) conducted an observation study on hand washing compliance with the recommended WHO core steps and COVID-19 among visitors of a university referral hospital. The study revealed that a large number of hospital visitors did not adhere to the standard hand washing procedures. Audible reminders and stylized human watching eye presentations were proposed as measures to improve hand washing compliance in the light of COVID-19.

Alzyood et al. (2020) studied how COVID-19 had reinforced the importance of hand washing. The study revealed that there was increased education and information through memes, short videos, and media on hand washing during d education and information through memes, short videos, and media on hand washing during COVID-19, which has increased compliance levels. Burns et al. (2021) studied the physical and psychological impacts of hand washing and PPE usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study revealed that intensified hand washing resulted in skin damage with associated detriment to staff wellbeing. The study proposed measures such as the use of moisturizer to reduce skin damage. Aemro et al. (2022) assessed the adherence of COVID-19 mitigation measures among HCWs and the contributing factors. The study revealed lower adherence to the mitigation measures among HCWs. Adherence was more for HCWs who had undergone a COVID-19 test. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

How hand washing non-compliance is similar to and different than what is discussed in the current body of knowledge

Lower adherence to hand washing compliance in the light of COVID-19 as identified in the organization is similar to what has been discussed in the reviewed literature as noted in the studies by Sahiledengle et al. (2020) and Aemro et al. (2022). The study by Alzyood et al. (2020) has revealed that intensification of the hand washing campaign can improve compliance with the practice. This is similar to the identified problem as the organization seeks measures to promote adherence to hand washing. The reviewed literature has identified the problems associated with intensive hand washing (Burns et al., 2021), which had not been identified in the organization. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

Significance of the problem, and its impact on nursing practice, patient outcomes, and global healthcare or educational environments.

Hand hygiene is critical for nosocomial infection prevention (Vermeil et al., 2019). Hand washing is a standard protocol in many healthcare organizations but has been overlooked by HCWs. Lack of compliance results in increased on-site infections and complications. Effective hand hygiene has proven effective in reducing hospital acquired infections (Hillier, 2020). Lack of compliance with hand hygiene protocols creates a practice problem for nurses as they risk spreading avoidable infections to patients. Poor hand hygiene affects patient outcomes as it exposes patients to the risk of contracting infections. In an educational setting, non-compliance with hand hygiene can result in a higher spread of disease and COVID-19. Hand hygiene is an effective tool in preventing the spread of disease-causing microorganisms. It is simple, cost-effective, and a simple primary prevention measure that can be done independently. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

Three evidence-based guidelines used in the literature to address hand hygiene non-compliance

The reviewed literature proposed the use of audible reminders, use of short videos and memes accessible on hand devices, hand hygiene education and awareness-raising campaigns as effective in addressing hand hygiene non-compliance. Audible reminders at all hand washing points can help in promoting compliance. The study by Sahiledengle et al. (2020) opined that hand hygiene campaigns have not been very effective in promoting compliance. Despite increased hand washing campaigns and awareness, study participants still had low compliance rates. This means that a blend of the three proposed approaches would promote adherence levels through a multi-modal approach. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

References

Alzyood, M., Jackson, D., Aveyard, H., & Brooke, J. (2020). COVID-19 reinforces the importance of handwashing. Journal of clinical nursing, 29(15-16), 2760–2761. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15313

Aemro, A., Fentie, B., & Wassie, M. (2022). Adherence to Covid-19 mitigation measures and its associated factors among health care workers at referral hospitals in Amhara regional state of Ethiopia. PLoS One, 17(8) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272570

Burns, E. S., Pathmarajah, P., & Muralidharan, V. (2021). Physical and psychological impacts of handwashing and personal protective equipment usage in the COVID‐19 pandemic: A UK based cross‐sectional analysis of healthcare

Assignment 1

For this assignment, in 2-3 pages, identify and define a problem at your organization or in your practice. Provide a review of at least 5 current peer-reviewed research articles that discuss and address the problem. Discuss how the problem you identified is similar to and different than what is discussed in the current body of knowledge. Provide evidence regarding the significance of the problem, and how the problem has and can impact nursing practice, patient and/or student outcomes, and global healthcare or educational environments. Discuss at least three of the potential solutions and/or evidence-based guidelines that were used in the literature to address the problem. Remember you are gathering the literature that will support an evidence-based research project. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment

The problem is the importance of handwashing since COVID 19 pandemic does not seem to be recognized. I ran through a list of possible references to use. The one by Lin et al must be included.

References:

Alzyood, M., Jackson, D., Aveyard, H., & Brooke, J. (2020). COVID-19 reinforces the importance of handwashing. Journal of clinical nursing, 29(15-16), 2760–2761. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15313

Bella, A., Akbar, M. T., Kusnadi, G., Herlinda, O., Regita, P. A., & Kusuma, D. (2021). Socioeconomic and behavioral correlates of COVID-19 infections among hospital workers in the Greater Jakarta Area, Indonesia: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5048.

D’Souza, K., Campbell, K., Alsiyabi, A., Davis, S., Hou, L., Zhao, R., & Williams, J. (2022). Hand hygiene: A student nurse perspective. Kai Tiaki : Nursing New Zealand, , 1-8. http://americansentinel.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/hand-hygiene-student-nurse-perspective/docview/2649317413/se-2

Elshaer, N., & Agage, H. (2022). Nurses’ perception and compliance with personal protective equipment and hand hygiene during the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 97(1)https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-022-00109-1

Gaikwad, U. N., Bose, O., Padhi, A., Jindal, A., Nagpure, K., Bhargava, A., & Das, P. (2022). A retrospective observational insight into COVID-19 exposures resulting from personal protective equipment (PPE) breaches. PloS one, 17(5), e0268582.

Lin, Y. H., Liu, C. H., & Chiu, Y. C. (2020). Google searches for the keywords of “wash hands” predict the speed of national spread of COVID-19 outbreak among 21 countries. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 87, 30-32.

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The problem is the importance of handwashing since COVID 19 pandemic does not seem to be recognized. I ran through a list of possible references to use. The one by Lin et al must be included. Minimum 5 articles must be used. If better ones available, feel free to use. Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Assignment