Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI): Capstone Change Proposal

Abstract

Medical attention is offered in various settings, from ultra-modern research institutions to frontline units with rudimentary equipment. Hospital patients still become sick from infections, and sometimes those diseases spread to hospital employees despite advancements in public health and medical treatment. Patients’ weakened immune systems, the proliferation of medical procedures and invasive techniques that can serve as vectors for infection, and the spread of drug-resistant bacteria among overcrowded hospitals are just a few of the many factors contributing to the spread of infection among hospitalized patients. Successful measures may reduce the prevalence of HAIs in hospitals, representing a severe public health threat. The paper includes the numerous strategies that may be used to lower the rate of HAIs in healthcare facilities. Some examples include teaching patients and staff how to prevent the spread of illness, using PPE, keeping the physical space clean and disinfected, and using antibiotics sparingly. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) may be prevented by making hospitals and healthcare facilities as safe as possible for patients and staff.

Keywords: healthcare-associated infections, hand hygiene, healthcare-associated viral respiratory infections, infection-prevention control,

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Capstone Project Change Proposals

Background

Viruses cause many acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) globally. Furthermore, ARIs have a mortality rate of over 4 million deaths annually (Chatterjee & Singh, 2021). Recent research by Chatterjee and Singh (2021) also indicates that substantial droplets are the most common form of spreading ARIs. However, transmission via short-distance contacts could also take place for specific pathogens. As a result, healthcare-associated viral respiratory infections (HAVRIs) are a significant public health concern. However, a review of the cultural assessment revealed a poor awareness of HAVRIs among health practitioners and the community, as well as inadequate comprehension of the significance of HAVRI prevention. Improvements in healthcare personnel’ HH behaviors via training and education are the cornerstone of infection prevention efforts, which have been shown to significantly cut down on the spread of healthcare-associated infections (Martos-Cabrera et al., 2019).

While an intern in the nursing department at a local hospital, I focused on eliminating HAIs. Making a positive impact on the lives of hospital patients has always been an aspiration of mine; therefore, this role was a perfect fit. Evidence-based measures to prevent the spread of HAIs were the primary focus of the internship. In addition, it was necessary to instruct workers on practicing good hygiene while handling patients and medical supplies. In addition, I assisted the hospital’s infection control staff in formulating and enforcing regulations meant to maintain the facility’s pristine cleanliness and safety.

Patients and employees in every healthcare setting are vulnerable to infections. COVID-19 is a relatively new infectious illness. COVID-19 and other infectious illnesses, such as surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and urinary tract infections (UTIs), spread more easily in healthcare settings where insufficient precautions were taken to safeguard patients and medical workers. In healthcare settings, the transmission of infectious illnesses may be mitigated by practicing proper hand hygiene (HH). Improvements in healthcare personnel’s HH behaviors via training and education are the cornerstone of infection prevention efforts, which have been shown to significantly reduce the spread of healthcare-associated infections (Martos-Cabrera et al., 2019). Therefore, the capstone change project intervention involves creating an educational and training program for healthcare workers and the community.

Clinical Problem

Hospital-acquired respiratory viral infections (HARVI) have been linked to nearly 12% of chronic hospital-acquired pneumonia. They are estimated to impact around 16,000 individuals in acute care hospitals in the US annually (Birrer et al., 2022). Common HARVIs have a downplayed effect on patient mortality and morbidity. As a result, innovative approaches are required to deal with the shortfall of private rooms and lower patient risk from all respiratory viruses. DroPS is, therefore, a symptom-based approach that could feasibly save resources. Unlike the pathogen-based isolation strategy, DroPS does not require initial diagnostics, minimizing operational costs.

Time-consuming patient transfers to different rooms and the accompanying cleaning efforts should be minimized. DroPS incorporation may offer a remedy for infection prevention in contexts with scarce resources, potentially alleviating demand on individual rooms. As a result, DroPS may be appealing from an economic standpoint. Furthermore, contact restrictions are well guaranteed with DroPS because standard precautions such as hand hygiene and wearing protective equipment are reinforced (Birrer et al., 2022). The symptom-based strategy for respiratory precautions could offer added security against respiratory viruses that would not otherwise lead to particular precaution initiatives.

Purpose of Change Proposal

The proposed change is meant to lessen the likelihood of diseases spreading across the medical center. It suggests practical strategies for reducing the transmission of infectious illnesses in a healthcare setting. Reducing the prevalence of infections in healthcare settings may reduce patients’ need to spend extra time in the hospital and the money spent treating them. Furthermore, it helps lower the overall fatality rate for surgical patients. The mortality rate in ICUs and HDUs is lowered as a result. The intervention for the capstone change project is to establish a training and education system for healthcare providers and the general public. Focusing on HAVRIs, the program’s goal is to reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

PICOT Question

In patients with acute respiratory failure (Population), how adequate are droplet precautions onsite (DroPS) (Intervention) compared to the standard pathogen-based single room isolation (Comparison) in controlling the spread of healthcare-associated infections (Outcome) within a three-month implementation period (Time)?

Literature Search Strategy Employed

A literature search strategy is a set of steps to locate specific information in academic publications, databases, and online resources. One of the main goals of every research project is to identify relevant literature. A well-designed literature search strategy will consider the breadth of the study, the variety of accessible sources, and the search phrases or keywords that will be utilized to isolate relevant materials. An exhaustive search of the electronic library database was conducted to locate scholarly materials that may be used to answer the PICOT question. The primary sources were mostly the GCU Library, CINAHL, and PubMed. The first phase consisted of identifying the pertinent keywords and phrases associated with the subject of the investigation. Synonyms, similar phrases, and other spellings of the keywords were also explored. It helps guarantee that all relevant material was found.

The keyword phrases utilized were hospital-acquired infections, infection prevention, infection control, and infection control policy. Using the use of keywords, we were able to narrow the scope of the literature review to include only reports on HAIs acquired in hospitals. Limits and filters were used to create relevant articles, such as those written in English and meeting specific criteria for peer review and publication date (2017-present). Sixty-five articles were found using this kind of literature search. By reading the articles’ abstracts, titles, and bodies, we could further filter down the research findings and choose the most pertinent ones.

Evaluation of the Literature

Several techniques were used to assess the gathered literature. One method included checking whether the papers addressed essential topics, including healthcare-associated infections and h and hygiene procedures. Articles were examined critically to identify the author, the study’s goal, the researcher’s background and competence, the theories and research methods applied, and the study’s methodology.

Authors of approved publications have to have extensive knowledge of the medical profession. The credibility and reliability of the articles’ cited sources were also evaluated. References in academic journals or other similarly prestigious publications are examples of credible sources (Paré and Kitsiou, 2017). Paré and Kitsiou (2017) state that a high-quality article draws from several secondary sources. There was an examination of the articles to ensure they complied with the standards of the scientific method. Lastly, the conclusions were double-checked to ensure they accurately reflected the data. This paper looked at all available literature on the PICOT. The review covered the research question(s), methodology, findings, and conclusion, all of which were utilized to shape the study’s recommendations for intervention.

Applicable Change or Nursing Theory Utilized

The nursing theory used is the diffusion of innovation hypothesis. Following this philosophy of transformation, it is essential to share nursing-related research findings and data with practitioners. The theory explains how, over time, a product or an idea gets traction and diffuses within a particular population system (Lien & Jiang, 2017). Adopting a new habit, concept, or product is the ultimate goal of the diffusion process. When something is adopted, it signifies that individuals will begin to behave differently than they did in the past. The idea, developed by Lien and Jiang, divides adopters into five groups: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards (2017). All nurses may benefit from the change adoption tactics presented here, regardless of which group they belong to.

Infection prevention and control studies may benefit from using the diffusion of innovations theory, which can be used as a framework for creating quality improvement interventions that increase the prevalence of IPC measures in healthcare facilities. Minimizing HAI beyond applying established best practices is frequently necessary, even if numerous methods are effective (Sreeramoju, 2019). The theory of the diffusion of innovations has a significant bearing on the practical application of the aforementioned evidence-based approach. As the theory describes how new behaviors might be adopted, it can provide a roadmap for implementing evidence-based programs and teaching HH. Infections at the hospital may be kept to a minimum by spreading the word about how to avoid getting one and how crucial it is to practice good hand hygiene. The new curriculum will use the theory’s recommended methods for promoting learning.

Proposed Implementation Plan with Outcome Measures

The resource-based project will require the needed resources to achieve the goals. Implementing the capstone change project will require several resources to be upgraded to improve hospital safety and minimize healthcare-associated infections. There needs to be a strategic approach since conducting research, assessments, and project management tasks are essential (Haque et al., 2020). Conducting a detailed evaluation of the hospital’s existing safety protocol systems—including processes and technology—to identify areas of improvement is crucial. Then developing the methodology used to bring the capstone change project suggestions to life depending on the findings will follow. To succeed, data from Kindred Hospital (Fort Lauderdale) will help understand the situation. Further, a strategy will be outlined to support project management by collaborating with the hospital’s staff. Also, there will be an outline of the project’s timeline for completion and implementation.

The proposed nursing practice intervention is enhancing safety within the healthcare facility. There has been an identification of the facility’s safety challenges facing the organization’s patients and healthcare workers. The culture-sensitive, systematic plan for implementing safety promotion includes identifying potential sources of safety issues and developing preventive measures. The safety surveillance will be done periodically to identify areas of concern regarding patients’ safety. The primary target will be to monitor the safety of both mobile and immobile patients to establish all the probable causes of injuries. The focus will be on the safety of the floors, workways, and bed positions.

There will also be tracking and analyzing patients’ behaviors. Patients tend to display disruptive behaviors, which increases the chances of safety breaches within the healthcare setting (Moreno-Leal et al., 2022). Correspondingly, there will be a strategy for observing patients’ vital signs, detecting symptoms, and general behavioral shifts. Furthermore, developing safety protocols for handling safety emergency scenarios will be undertaken. The procedures will extend the first-aid steps, which are essential when responding to safety emergency needs. The creation of the safety protocols will depend on the outcomes of the assessments in the above plans. There will also be patient education on post-hospital conduct. The ultimate goal of the nursing practice intervention is to reduce hospital stays, re-visit, and readmission where possible through effective patient education.

In addition to expanding the total number of HH stations, the suggested implementation strategy calls for developing a comprehensive education campaign on infection management and prevention. Preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) requires using IPC programs backed by scientific evidence (CDC, 2021). The nursing staff, not only those in the lower ranks, will benefit from the program’s efforts to increase their expertise in HH procedures and preventing and treating infections. The first step in the implementation process will be to administer a validated survey to the nursing staff to determine their current level of expertise. Simultaneously, the nurses will take an online survey utilizing the IPC pre-test assessment tool to gauge their familiarity with and adherence to standard HH procedures.

Depending on the nature and scale of the proposed change project, the healthcare facility’s approval procedure may differ. Clinicians and other staff, facility leadership, and governing bodies like the board of directors should all provide their stamp of approval before any significant changes are made. Speaking with other interested parties, such as the local health department or accrediting bodies, may also be necessary.

A healthcare institution’s management team, governing board, and any regulatory or accrediting agencies that monitor the hospital must approve before a suggested modification initiative to enhance safety may be implemented. Any changes to the rules and regulations of the establishment need the approval of the management team. The facility’s governing council must approve the planned upgrade as part of its duties. Moreover, the proposed change project must be approved by regulatory or accrediting agencies like the Joint Commission or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (Willis, 2021). Changes to the facility’s policies and procedures for patient safety must be approved or denied by these organizations.

It is vital to prepare a detailed plan for the proposed change that outlines the project’s goals, timeframe, and budget to gain the support of those who need to approve the project. In addition, the project has to have measurable results and risk analysis. Assertions should be backed up with facts, such as occurrence rates or studies of successful comparable programs at other healthcare institutions. For the success of any change initiative, it is also crucial to have a comprehensive plan for disseminating information to all affected parties. Educating policymakers, medical professionals, and patients is a necessary part of this process.

One must stress the significance of the initiative in enhancing patient safety in the hospital. Explain how the suggested alterations would improve things for patients, employees, and other interested parties. The risks to patients and employees that might arise due to delaying the transition should also be highlighted. The necessary permission for the project may be facilitated by giving a thorough and convincing argument.

Evidence-Based Practice Use in the Intervention Plan Creation

Standard precautions are infection control strategies that pertain to all patient care, despite the patient’s presumed or verified infection status, in any context in which healthcare is provided. Standard precautions, as per the World Health Organization (2021), include hand hygiene, occupational safety, respiratory and cough hygiene, patient placement and assessment for infection risk, use of PPEs like gloves and masks, safe disposal of waste, and safe management of blood or body fluid spillages, care environment, care equipment, and linen. Hand hygiene is among the most efficient ways of avoiding the transmission of HAIs (Haque et al., 2020). As demonstrated by existing research, the educative intervention effectively enhanced HH compliance and decreased HAIs.

The information included in the many sources used for the project was extensively assessed. This study would not have been possible without the conclusions of the sources and the recommendations they gave for implementing HH practices. The strategy includes the action that has the most robust backing from available data. Each selected article had to prove that the intervention effectively lowered HAI rates over time. Modern technology is the best way to combat the rise in hospital-acquired diseases and improve hand cleanliness. Water, soap, and hand sanitizer are all helpful, but technologies are better.

Infectious diseases are readily disseminated in a healthcare setting, and some patients may not be adept at cleaning their hands. This method guarantees the destruction of most germs and viruses, making it the most effective measure to curb the spread of disease. More and more patients are becoming ill after receiving treatment at hospitals. Infections acquired when a patient is hospitalized may lead to several difficulties, and the spread of illness among hospital personnel can harm everyone’s ability to do their jobs (Haque et al., 2020). Worrying about catching other illnesses on the job makes them less motivated and productive. As a result, HAIs constitute a severe problem in the medical field.

Plan for Evaluating the Proposed Nursing Intervention

The outcomes of the new process change would be evaluated based on the achievement of institutional goals. Outcomes would be measured by considering healthcare workers’ compliance with IPC standard precautions such as hand hygiene practices, respiratory and cough etiquette, and personal protective equipment (Wensing et al., 2020). A survey would be used to collect data on adherence to IPC standards and policies and their impact (See Appendix 1). Tools such as charts would also be used to document compliance in aggregate throughout the project duration (See Appendix 2). Furthermore, checklists and audit tools would be crucial in documenting procedures (See Appendix 3). Lastly, the project would entail a periodic observational assessment and a constructive review and feedback to staff.

The Infection Prevention for Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Evaluation Plan will be conducted. The transmission rates of healthcare-associated viral respiratory infections (HAVRI) will be monitored. At the end of the intervention phase, the participants would fill out an infection control survey. The survey will assess the facility’s compliance with appropriate infection prevention and control procedures (Aghdassi et al., 2020). The research team will carry out the survey and will also be responsible for publishing monthly reports. The data will be utilized to assess how well the intervention reduced the transmission rate of HAVRI. Also, it would provide details on participants’ responses to the intervention, which could be used to improve the design of follow-up interventions (Savul et al., 2021). For instance, the survey would show the degree of HAVRI awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public. The data obtained from the evaluation would be critically analyzed to improve the design of upcoming interventions and assess if the intervention was effective in lowering the rate of HAVRI transmission among the participants.

The evaluation plan will help to improve the design of future interventions by providing information on how well the intervention reduced the rate of HAVRI transmission among the participants. It will be beneficial to gauge the participants’ level of satisfaction with the intervention (Aghdassi et al., 2020). The information would be presented to the team in the monthly reports, using tools like tables, graphs, and charts to document overall project results. If the data obtained shows that the intervention was effective in reducing the infection rates among the participants, for instance, the efficacy of the intervention would be highlighted, and it must be maintained. It might be necessary to review the intervention if the statistics indicate that it did not influence infection rates (Savul et al., 2021). Similarly, if survey findings show that respondents were satisfied with the initiative, this would signal that the intervention is meeting the target audience’s needs. Yet, if the survey findings show that the participants expressed dissatisfaction with the intervention, modifying it to meet their needs better would be necessary.

Identification of Potential Barriers to Plan Implementation

Healthcare professionals may be hesitant to undertake modifications that have the potential to diminish the effectiveness of patient treatment in certain circumstances. As management may not be on board with the change, and staff may be resistant, this may slow down the process of bringing about the suggested improvement at the medical center. Provider buy-in is crucial to the success of any new infection prevention methods (Mauffrey, 2017). The plan’s execution is incredibly reliant on management’s support. If the hospital’s administration doesn’t back the initiative, it may not get the funding it needs. In addition, nurses’ resistance to alteration is a problem. To ensure management’s support throughout the rollout, including them early on is essential. Nurses’ resistance to change may be addressed by education and the example of colleagues who have already made the transition. Workers require training to understand the need for change and their part in making it a reality.

The absence of necessary resources is another obstacle to the plan’s realization. Lowering the number of infections linked with medical treatment often necessitates adjusting the staff and the equipment, which both call for extra financial resources. Many healthcare institutions operate with constrained budgets, which may make it challenging to distribute resources effectively. Numerous demands on a few resources make prioritizing infection prevention and control difficult. In addition, priorities may shift, and funds may be redirected to other causes. Sometimes there aren’t enough funds to provide enough training on infection prevention methods and monitor their consistent use. Changes needed to minimize HAIs might be challenging to adopt without sufficient resources. Intense fundraising drives can be run to overcome financing obstacles. Also, approaching other groups to get financial support can prove helpful in this situation.

Changes may be slow to be implemented in many healthcare institutions because of their sometimes-convoluted organizational structures. It may be challenging to guarantee that all staff members accept and implement new procedures without established communication channels and responsibilities. They may have trouble coordinating the many parties and divisions responsible for the strategy. It may also be challenging for enterprises to manage and monitor the plan’s implementation and outcomes efficiently. An efficient action plan, with well-defined roles and duties for all stakeholders, may help an organization overcome its difficulties (Wang et al., 2020). To guarantee that the aims of lowering HAIs are reached, organizations should prioritize communication and collaboration across departments and stakeholders and monitor the plan’s progress and outcomes.

Patients must adhere to all protocols and procedures that have been prescribed to limit the risk of infections linked with healthcare successfully. Patients may be reluctant or unable to comply with the guidelines in Appendix 4 in some circumstances, which may restrict the efficacy of any attempts to lower the risk of infection. Healthcare practitioners may address this obstacle by cultivating a collaborative relationship with patients, stressing the significance of compliance, and highlighting the correlation between patient compliance and improved health outcomes. Patients should also be given clear and comprehensive instructions on how to comply with the plan by their healthcare professionals. These instructions should include which drugs to take, when, and how to practice cleanliness correctly.

Estimated Cost of the Project

The cost of the project to reduce the transmission of healthcare-associated infections will vary based on the scale of the project as well as the level of complexity it entails. The kind of infection, the number of healthcare workers who need to be taught, the number of facilities that are involved, the kind of training and resources that are necessary, as well as the amount of time that must pass before the project can be implemented, are all factors that have an impact on the cost. Considering all these factors, the project may cost fifty to one hundred thousand dollars.

Conclusion

The clinical issue being addressed by this project is that HARVI has been associated with chronic hospital-acquired infections. This change aims to reduce the risk that infectious diseases may spread across the hospital. The literature search aimed to track down relevant data from scholarly journals, databases, and other internet sources. The GCU Library, CINAHL, and PubMed were the critical resources used. The project team examined all previously published works addressing the PICOT issue. The intervention suggestions stemmed from thoroughly examining the study’s research questions, methods, results, and conclusion.

The theory of diffusion of innovations in nursing is used here. To put this theory of change into practice in nursing, researchers must make their results and data available to actual nurses. To accomplish the desired results, the resource-based project must have access to the appropriate resources. A thorough infection management and prevention education campaign will be developed as part of the suggested implementation strategy, which also involves monitoring and evaluating patient behavior. In any healthcare setting, standard precautions are practices for preventing the spread of illness that apply to all patients, regardless of their suspected or confirmed infection status. The success of the new process changes would be measured by how well they help the institution reach its objectives.

The information gained from the assessment plan about the intervention’s success in lowering the transmission rate of HAVRI among its participants may be used to refine its design for future use. Nonetheless, medical personnel may be reluctant to make adjustments that might reduce the efficacy of patient therapy. Finally, the cost of implementing measures to cut down on HAIs would change depending on the scope and complexity of the undertaking. By implementing preventative measures against HAIs, hospitals can guarantee that their patients always get the best possible treatment. The right actions to prevent HAIs may save lives and healthcare costs. Increased patient satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth about the hospital are two additional benefits of an efficient HAI prevention program.

References

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Birrer, M., Perrig, M., Hobi, F., Gfeller, C., Atkinson, A., Egger, M., Bartholdi, C., Aujesky, D., Marschall, J., & Sommerstein, R. (2022). Droplet precautions onsite (DroPS) during the influenza season 2018/2019: a possible alternative to single room isolation for respiratory viral infections. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 11, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-021-01038-y

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 10). Healthcare-associated infections (HAIS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/hai/index.html.

Chatterjee, R., & Singh, S. (2021). Healthcare-associated Respiratory Infections: Prevention and Control. Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections: Infection Prevention and Control, 123.

Haque, M., McKimm, J., Sartelli, M., Dhingra, S., Labricciosa, F. M., Islam, S., Jahan, D., Nusrat, T., Chowdhury, T. S., Coccolini, F., Iskandar, K., Catena, F., & Charan, J. (2020). Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Narrative Overview. Risk management and healthcare policy, 13, 1765–1780. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S269315

Lien, A. S.-Y., & Jiang, Y.-D. (2017). Integration of diffusion of innovation theory into diabetes care. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 8(3), 259–260. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdi.12568.

Martos-Cabrera, M. B., Mota-Romero, E., Martos-García, R., Gómez-Urquiza, J. L., Suleiman-Martos, N., Albendín-García, L., & Cañadas-De la Fuente, G. A. (2019). Hand hygiene teaching strategies among nursing staff: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(17), 3039.

Mauffrey, C. (2017). On Patient Safety: Infection Prevention in Orthopaedics: Pearls and Pitfalls of a Global Perspective. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®, 475, 1549-1552.

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Appendix 1: Survey Questions

1. How often do you wash your hands before and after treating a patient?
2. While speaking with patients, how frequently do you use appropriate cough and breath etiquette?
3. How frequently do you see patients when outfitted in the appropriate PPE?
4. Have you read the IPC standards and recommendations for healthcare professionals?
5. How frequently do you check that personal protective equipment is being used and discarded properly according to IPC guidelines?
6. Are you aware of the Infection Prevention Control (IPC)?
7. How frequently have you met IPC requirements in the previous month while talking to patients?
8. How frequently do you follow the guidelines set out by IPC to clean and disinfect all surfaces, equipment, and materials?
9. While cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and materials, how frequently do you utilize the correct personal protective equipment?
10. Do you know what personal protective equipment (PPE) is required by IPC requirements to be used by healthcare workers?

Appendix 2: Overall Project Results Chart

	Number of times per week
Practitioners	HH performed	PPE donned	Cough etiquette employed
Professional 1
Professional 2
Professional 3

Appendix 3: Checklist for Healthcare Workers’ Compliance with IPC Standard Precautions

ÿ   Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before and after handling patients, gloves, or patient belongings

ÿ   While handling infectious materials, always wear gloves, a gown, and a face mask

ÿ   Urge patients to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue away in a lined wastebasket.

ÿ   Guests and patients have access to tissue paper and a trash can.

ÿ   Clean and disinfect all surfaces and tools in the work area per established procedures.

ÿ   Toss out any potentially hazardous waste in accordance with local laws.

ÿ   Put all infectious trash in the designated containers.

ÿ   Isolate patients with a possible or proven infection in a single room with the door locked.

Appendix 4: Sanitary Guidelines for Patients

1. Regularly use soap and water to clean your hands or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Do not put dirty hands anywhere near your face, especially your lips, nose, and eyes.
3. If your healthcare practitioner will be handling your body in any way, ask them to use gloves.
4. Insist that your medical professional clean their hands before and after handling you.
5. Cover up as much of your flesh as possible by wearing long trousers and blouses.
6. Put on a mask if you’re going to be in a public place or a medical institution.
7. Request your medical staff to disinfect their tools with an alcohol-based solution before each use.
8. Sanitize any surfaces you may have touched in a hospital.
9. Get any necessary vaccinations before seeing a doctor or hospital.
10. Ask questions if you have any doubts or questions about a certain operation.