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Hospital Infection Control and Nurse Duties

Infectious diseases infiltrate the body and multiply to create diseases. Bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi can all cause infectious diseases that range from mild to severe, sometimes fatal. Although hospitals exist to treat diseases, they also are common locations for infectious outbreaks. Fortunately, nurses can play an important role in controlling and preventing the spread of infectious diseases in health care facilities. In fact, several nurse duties are aimed solely at infection control.

  1. Equipment Safety

    • Because multiple people commonly handle hospital equipment, it's easy to pass infections. For example, blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes and scissors should all be sanitized and/or disinfected between patient uses. Nurses also are responsible for placing disposable covers over the probe when checking a patient's temperature. Nurses must follow their institution's protocol for regularly changing tubes used to deliver nutrients or fluids to the patient or to drain fluids from the patient's body. If left unchanged, these tubes can harbor the growth of bacteria, which can easily enter the person's body. Each health care institution will set its own rules and regulations regarding proper infection control.

    Proper Dress

    • Nursing.AdvanceWeb.com says long-sleeve shirts or jackets and jewelry are commonly responsible for spreading bacteria throughout the facility. As a result, many health care facilities require the nursing staff to wear only short-sleeve scrub tops and limit the amount of jewelry allowed. Some facilities do not allow nurses to wear any jewelry except a watch.Keeping the hair pulled away from the face and the fingernails short significantly reduces the spread of microorganisms. Hand-washing, which requires a strict protocol, is the most important method for preventing infection.

    Universal Precautions

    • Nurses must also follow the rules set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to CDC.gov, these "universal precautions" are "a set of precautions designed to prevent the transmission of . . . bloodborne pathogens when providing first aid or health care." These universal precautions apply to a variety of body fluids, such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluids, semen and vaginal secretions. They do not apply to nasal secretions, sputum, saliva, sweat, tears, urine, feces or vomit unless these fluids contain visible blood. Under the universal precautions rule, nurses must wear gloves, gowns, protective eyewear and face masks when coming into contact with the specified body fluids. Nurses must prevent injuries from needles and other sharp instruments.

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