Keywords :
Bundle compliance, Central line-associated bloodstream infections, Coronavirus disease-2019, Critical care unit, Infection control, Staff nurses
Citation Information :
Varghese JJ, Morris B, Nambi PS, Venkatasubramanian R. “Nurse—The Archer” Fighting Against the Hidden Enemy. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023; 27 (4):246-253.
Background and aim: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global threat spreading like a wildfire and taking the world by its storm. It has challenged the healthcare delivery systems and disrupted them in a way no one ever imagined before. We at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India received many patients in the COVID critical care unit (CCU) and found a gradual lack of bundle care compliance resulting in an upsurge of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) amid the patients.
Materials and methods: A qualitative research approach and quasi-experimental research design were selected to assess the knowledge of the 150 frontline COVID CCU nurses regarding the CLABSI bundle and its prevention strategies.
Results: This study revealed that 57% [mean (M) = 12.6; standard deviation (SD) = 2.37] of nurses had inadequate knowledge of the CLABSI bundle and its prevention strategies, in the pretest and scored 80% (M = 6.7; SD = 2.28) in the post-test, with “t” = 22.06 at p < 0.00001 after the hands-on training. The percentage of compliance to CLABSI bundle care increased to 83% and thereafter in an increasing trend. This was clearly evident through the reduction in the preventable CLABSI rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Conclusion: Nurses are on the frontline in preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Fighting with all the visible and invisible challenges, our research focused on hands-on training for frontline warriors to adhere to the CLABSI bundle care which drove us to the reduction in preventable CLABSI rate in our hospital through improved CLABSI bundle compliance.
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