NURS_6050 Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation

NURS_6050 Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Essay Paper

NURS_6050 Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Essay Paper

Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template

Use this document to complete the Module 5 Assessment Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation

Healthcare policies and programs define the action, goals, and decisions determining the provision and access to care (Gupta & Lipner, 2020). After formulation and application, policies help in improving various aspects of care and improve health outcomes. Policies on hand hygiene and handwashing are among the many polices aimed at improving safety while enhancing outcomes (CDC, 2022). This paper will discuss the hand hygiene policy under various subheadings that will help in addressing the impact of the practice on patient outcomes.

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Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation	Hand Hygiene Policy: Hand hygiene practices are the basic concepts in healthcare that every healthcare provider must understand. Hand hygiene is paramount in determining health outcomes and helps in the prevention of most hospital-acquired infections (HAI) (Gammon & Hunt, 2020). Despite hand hygiene being basic, not all healthcare workers adhere to the laid guidelines and consequently risk the health outcomes of patients whom they are tasked to protect. Hand hygiene is a paramount practice that helps in the prevention of infections. I decided to address the issue to improve knowledge about hand hygiene and enhance adherence. This move aims at reducing infection rates while improving health outcomes.
Description	Hand hygiene is a basic practice yet critical to infection prevention. Healthcare workers engage in hand hygiene practices using either water, soap, or hand sanitizers. Various circumstances and surroundings determine the feasibility of undertaking hand hygiene practices (CDC, 2022). The importance of hand hygiene was further demonstrated during the surge of the Covid-19 pandemic (Gammon & Hunt, 2020). Hand hygiene was among the many directives provided by departments of health to curb the spread of covid-19 which sadly claimed many lives. Arguably, observing hand hygiene helped in preventing the spread of covid-19 (CDC, 2022). Therefore, hand hygiene is a vital practice that should be adhered to improve health outcomes and reduce transmission of preventable illnesses. Besides, clear guidelines are provided by the world health organization (WHO) regarding the moments when it is vital to carry out hand hygiene practices. According to WHO (2020), healthcare providers should observe hand hygiene in five major circumstances including before touching patients, after coming into contact with the patient`s environment or body fluids, before performing a procedure, immediately after the procedure, and after handling a patient before serving the next. Furthermore, healthcare workers must understand that wearing gloves is not a substitute for handwashing in infection prevention practices.
How was the success of the program or policy measured?	Measuring the success of the policy is vital when determining its effectiveness of the policy. To measure the impact of hand hygiene, weekly reports of HAI were applied. These reports provide the trends in infection rates while comparing each week. A comparison is made to determine the impact of the policy. Fortunately, healthcare workers have complied with hand hygiene practices and there has not been any alarm in the infection rate. To improve health outcomes and reduce the rate of infection, measures have been put in place to continue with sensitization and education of healthcare workers to continue with the practice.
How many people were reached by the program or policy selected? How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?	All employees in contact with patients either directly or indirectly were the target of this program. Physicians and nurses providing direct care to patients were targeted as they are more likely to transmit infections through direct interactions. On the other hand, subordinate staff is in contact with patients’ surroundings, equipment, and food which may act as conduits for infection transmission if vital measures are not taken into consideration (CDC, 2022). Because everyone is at risk of transmitting infections, everyone had to be involved in various capacities. After the implementation of the program, there has been significant improvement in health outcomes with a reduction in the rates of HAIs. Everyone in healthcare has realized the importance of hand hygiene and has been carrying out active campaigns to improve hand hygiene. Reduction in HAI has led to a reduction in the cost of care, reduced health burden, and improved patient wellness and satisfaction.
At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?	Evaluation of the program was performed before and after the implementation. The pre-implementation evaluation determined the knowledge level as well as the rate of infections as well as patient outcomes. A comparison of the data from the two phases helped to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Knowledge and health outcomes improved in the post-implementation phase as compared to the pre-implementation stage. This was an indication of positive growth.
What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?	The weekly audit report conducted by the organization to track the new cases of HAIs was the primary source of the data. All the new infections were tracked and differentiated from the pre-existing infections. Besides, the information from healthcare providers regarding their experience while adhering to hand hygiene practice offered qualitative data. Weekly training also continued to improve knowledge and enhance adherence.
What specific information on unintended consequences was identified?	Despite the positive impact of hand hygiene in improving patient safety, there are still gaps in the implementation of hand hygiene practices to enhance health outcomes. Some healthcare workers still fail to adhere to guidelines hence risking patients` health. Non-adherence to guidelines increases the risk of new infections and transmission of infections between healthcare providers and patients (Gupta & Lipner, 2020). Infections can further spread and affect a larger population. The surge in infection negatively impairs health outcomes and increases the cost of care, increases patient suffering, and reduces patient satisfaction levels.
What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.	A multi-dimensional approach was used in arriving at stakeholders. Stakeholders consisted of various populations with various roles or concerns about the health issue. They included healthcare professionals, patients, subordinate staff, and patient relatives. Their involvement was based on their various roles regarding patient safety. While everyone is likely to benefit from this policy, patients are the major beneficiaries. According to Gupta and Lipner (2020), adhering to hand hygiene practices improve health outcomes and patient safety. Furthermore, the general score of the organization is likely to improve and become a preference for most patients.
Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?	The program was termed a success after its implementation. The infection rate was reduced immensely and the patient outcomes improved significantly. This is in line with the primary objective of reducing HAIs. Furthermore, the skills and knowledge of healthcare workers regarding hand hygiene improved significantly.
Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?	Observing hand hygiene is a policy that I would recommend in every organization including my workplace. Hand hygiene is basic and helps in reducing the burden of infections. Implementing this policy in my workplace would help in reducing infections while improving the health outcomes of patients. This would be a positive move towards improving the quality of care as well as enhancing safety which are integral aspects of patient care.
Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after one year of implementation.	In matters of hand hygiene, the nurses` role in advocacy is vital in the evaluation of the program. During implementation, nurses play a critical role in educating others about hand hygiene practices and encouraging others to participate in the practice (CDC, 2022). After implementation, the nurse can take part in evaluating the program. Evaluation can be done using questionnaires to assess the level of knowledge as well as adherence levels of healthcare workers.
General Notes/Comments	Hand hygiene is among other critical practices that improve patient outcomes and reduce health burdens. All healthcare workers should take an active role in improving patient safety by advocating for policies that address patient concerns.

Conclusion

The impact of hand hygiene on reducing the rates of HAI and disease burden has been explored in the discussion. Reducing rate of infection improves health outcomes as well as reduce the cost of care. Therefore, every organization that values safety of their employees and clients must implement hand hygiene practices to enhance safety. I will apply the hand hygiene in every aspect of my interactions and encourage my workmates to adopt the same.

References

CDC. (2022, July 28). Hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/handwashing-healthcare.html

Gammon, J., & Hunt, J. (2020). COVID-19 and hand hygiene: the vital importance of hand drying. British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen Publishing), 29(17), 1003–1006. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2020.29.17.1003

Gupta, M. K., & Lipner, S. R. (2020). Hand hygiene in preventing COVID-19 transmission. Cutis; Cutaneous Medicine for the Practitioner, 105(5), 233–234. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32603385/

WHO. (2020, June 2). The WHO’s 5 moments for handwashing. SOAPY Clean Machine. https://soapy.care/the-whos-5-moments-for-handwashing/

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Make sure to use template link below.

Program/policy evaluation is a valuable tool that can help strengthen the quality of programs/policies and improve outcomes for the populations they serve. Program/policy evaluation answers basic questions about program/policy effectiveness. It involves collecting and analyzing information about program/policy activities, characteristics, and outcomes. This information can be used to ultimately improve program services or policy initiatives.

Nurses can play a very important role assessing program/policy evaluation for the same reasons that they can be so important to program/policy design. Nurses bring expertise and patient advocacy that can add significant insight and impact. In this Assignment, you will practice applying this expertise and insight by selecting an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation and reflecting on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program/policy.

To Prepare:

Review the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template provided in the Resources.
Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.
Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.
The Assignment: (2–3 pages)

Based on the program or policy evaluation you selected, complete the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template. Be sure to address the following:

Describe the healthcare program or policy outcomes.
How was the success of the program or policy measured?
How many people were reached by the program or policy selected?
How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?
At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?
What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
What specific information on unintended consequences was identified?
What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.
Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?
Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?
Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after 1 year of implementation.