General Forums >> The Anonymous Zone >> MRSA
MRSA
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Posted over 2 years ago I noted recently my ex place of work Trust is one of those that didn’t make the grade regarding Hospital Acquired Infections. This reminded me of MSRA and how it was always “the staffs fault” when it happened. The ward manager before I originally started work on her ward got accused of this once, and kind of fought back. She instigated routine on admission MRSA swabs and uncovered the wards were actually receiving MRSA positive patients before any treatment was given. I also recall such swab taking wasn’t exactly liked because of the cost and extra work load doing the tests, but she kept us doing them regardless.
MRSA is endemic to the population I once read in some localities, and although I left that ward I do remember all visitors were being also requested to wash hands in a gel before and after visits when I made a social call.
But has anyone researched relatives as a potential source of HAI? Like doing random anonymous hand swabs pre and post visits, seeing that the problem of cross infections hasn’t exactly disappeared.
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| Posted over 2 years ago I find it hugely frustrating that these infections are scaremongered in the press to be percieved by the public as infections only aquired in hospitals. Im sure that if all patients and relatives were screened at entry level to the hospital it would highlight that a high percentage of infections detected would be identifiable as a pre-admission state. I would also love to see all staff screened regulary,INCLUDING DOCTORS, as i know its not my nursing staff that are are failing to follow infection control procedures but surgeons in particular behave like they are exempt from the rules everyone else has to follow. These measures will never of course be implemented because of the cost implications but we as staff need to remain aware that we are also at risk and deserved to be screened and treated accordingly so our future health may not be compromised by an undiagnosed case of MRSA pre surgery for example. |
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| Posted over 2 years ago Having had hospital acquired MRSA and C diff, I am acutely aware that handwashing is still considered to be an optional extra-particularly with doctors. |
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| Posted over 2 years ago i get so angry with the media stating it's a hospital acquired infection! what about the community strain of MRSA?? do people know that this is not always detected in the labs unless they are looking for it!! |
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| Posted over 2 years ago I work in the community and we are all aware that MRSA is rife out here! So, I agree. It's not necessarily a HAI. We in the community would support that. We do educate patients about these misconceptions too. |
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Education is the best way, and ignoring the obvious because of political convenience isn’t.
I mean we get told it was better in the good old days under matron, but matron had a lot more power against the relatives than she does theses days. No relatives allowed in the ward before or after a short set visiting time, or allowed in the patients day room. You get relatives that think they are allowed just about anywhere these days.
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| Posted over 2 years ago i dragged a relative out of our treatment room a couple of weeks back, they were looking for somewhere quiet to make a phonecall!! |
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| Posted over 2 years ago On my ward it is routine to screen patients on admission it's part of our job now and is effective in minimising infection. I also see doctors going from patients to patient without gloves or hand washing we have to challenge them about it as per infection control we can challenge health workers not using infection control practices. |
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| Posted over 2 years ago I strongly feel that infection control procedures should be drummed into med students as a priority. It's mainly medics who flit between patients wtiout washing their hands |
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| Posted about 1 year ago Medics as in Paramedics? Man, I know, it is all so crazy. I have even heard that mobiles / cell phones are a huge culprit as well. I am being a pied piper here for a new community called HAI Watchdog Community which is a new forum dedicated to healthcare professionals only, especially nurses, for sure. Please check it out. |
