Running head: LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE - INFECTION 1
Leadership Experience – Infection Control in the Nursing Home Setting
Jess Richling
Western Governors University
pg. 1
, LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE - INFECTION 2
Leadership Experience – Infection Control in the Nursing Home Setting
A1. Problem
In the nursing home setting there is a significant lack of infection control programs
actively in place. The elderly population is extremely susceptible to infections and have
weakened immune systems, which makes fighting off infections even harder. An infection
control program is an organizational structure within which infection prevention is standardized
and implemented [Rob00]. These types of programs are beginning to take a major stride in
patient safety and are a crucial part of quality improvement.
A1 a. Explanation of the Problem
According to the American Journal of Infection Control, about 15% of nursing homes in
the United States receive deficiency citations for infection control every year [Nur11]. In the
nursing home setting infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, nearly 400,000
deaths per year [Nur11]. Infections are common among resident in long-term facilities, they can
be considered within the framework of endemic infections, outbreaks, and antimicrobial
resistance. Infection control is a major part of the nursing home environment and also the area of
practice that I work in.
A2. Investigation
Catheter associated infections have always been a problem for all health care settings, it
has recently come to light that those numbers have gone down with different strategies being
used. Different facilities have used a decision tree in helping with determining the route of care
used in treating different signs and symptoms of infections. This decision tree leads either the
nurse or doctor in the direction of least invasive and the direction of decreased risk of infection.
As a nurse I often times jump to placing a foley catheter or using a straight catheter to obtain a
pg. 2
Leadership Experience – Infection Control in the Nursing Home Setting
Jess Richling
Western Governors University
pg. 1
, LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE - INFECTION 2
Leadership Experience – Infection Control in the Nursing Home Setting
A1. Problem
In the nursing home setting there is a significant lack of infection control programs
actively in place. The elderly population is extremely susceptible to infections and have
weakened immune systems, which makes fighting off infections even harder. An infection
control program is an organizational structure within which infection prevention is standardized
and implemented [Rob00]. These types of programs are beginning to take a major stride in
patient safety and are a crucial part of quality improvement.
A1 a. Explanation of the Problem
According to the American Journal of Infection Control, about 15% of nursing homes in
the United States receive deficiency citations for infection control every year [Nur11]. In the
nursing home setting infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, nearly 400,000
deaths per year [Nur11]. Infections are common among resident in long-term facilities, they can
be considered within the framework of endemic infections, outbreaks, and antimicrobial
resistance. Infection control is a major part of the nursing home environment and also the area of
practice that I work in.
A2. Investigation
Catheter associated infections have always been a problem for all health care settings, it
has recently come to light that those numbers have gone down with different strategies being
used. Different facilities have used a decision tree in helping with determining the route of care
used in treating different signs and symptoms of infections. This decision tree leads either the
nurse or doctor in the direction of least invasive and the direction of decreased risk of infection.
As a nurse I often times jump to placing a foley catheter or using a straight catheter to obtain a
pg. 2
