Final answer:
Before performing any procedure, a nurse aide must identify the patient, explain the procedure, and wash hands to ensure patient safety and proper clinical practice. These steps are part of a broader set of protocols designed to prevent medical errors and control infections. Proper hand hygiene is critical in healthcare settings and is a key component of pre-procedural checklists. The option (D) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before performing any nursing procedure, a nurse aide must complete several necessary steps to ensure patient safety and procedural efficacy. These steps include identifying the patient, explaining the procedure to the patient, and washing hands. Identifying the patient is crucial to prevent medical errors while explaining the procedure helps to obtain patient consent and cooperation. Handwashing is a critical step in infection control, done thoroughly between every patient contact to reduce the risk of transferring infections.
Additionally, in a clinical setting, a nursing team will run through a set of checks to ensure everything is in place before starting a procedure. This includes confirming the name of the procedure, the completeness of necessary equipment such as needles and sponges, correct labeling and availability of any specimens, and addressing any equipment issues. During a 'time-out' before the incision, the team must collectively confirm details such as patient identity, surgical site, procedure, and consent. The goal is to minimize errors and anticipate any possible complications by reviewing concerns specific to the surgery, anesthesia, sterility, and equipment readiness.
Importantly, handwashing protocols are even more rigorous when assisting with invasive procedures to prevent the introduction of microbes into surgical wounds, thus protecting against postoperative infections. Proper hand hygiene is also reinforced in laboratory guidelines, along with the use of gloves and safety glasses, and is integral to public health as recommended by health organizations like the CDC. Therefore, option (D) is correct.
This question is not complete, Here I am attaching the complete question:
Before performing any procedure a nurse aide must
(A) identify the patient
(B) explain the procedure
(C) wash your hands
(D) all of the above.