Question

An infection control surveillance of hospital patient rooms reveals a high level of bacteria on some surfaces. It is discovered that newly hired housekeeping staff had cleaned the rooms. To control the risk of infections, new employees already receive training in proper disinfection methods.

What should be added to the infection risk control plan to improve effectiveness?
A.) Compare practices among newly hired housekeeping staff
B.) Employ a private cleaning service agency to disinfect rooms
C.) Provide regular performance feedback to housekeeping staff
D.) Use infectious disease specialists to clean patient care areas

Answer 1

To improve infection control in a hospital, regular performance feedback to housekeeping staff can ensure training in disinfection methods is being applied correctly and continuously improved, reducing the risk of infection transmission.

Step-by-step explanation:

To improve the effectiveness of the infection risk control plan in a hospital, after discovering a high level of bacteria on some surfaces in patient rooms cleaned by newly hired housekeeping staff, it is recommended to C) Provide regular performance feedback to housekeeping staff. Although newly hired staff received proper training in disinfection methods, regular feedback on their performance can identify areas where additional training is necessary, ensure adherence to the infection control protocols, and encourage continuous improvement. By doing so, the risk of infection spreading within the hospital can be better controlled. Regular feedback also aligns with the principles of ongoing quality improvement and enhances accountability.

Ensuring that housekeeping staff are properly trained and are following the established protocols is critical to preventing healthcare-associated infections. High-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, bedrails, and light switches should be meticulously disinfected since they are fomites that can transmit infectious agents. Furthermore, the effectiveness of disinfectants can be compromised by factors such as biofilms, organic matter, and the wrong concentration of disinfecting agents, so it is important that cleaning staff are knowledgeable about these issues and know how to address them effectively.