NURS 4005/ NURS 4006 Week 1: Emerging and Re-emerging Infections Across the Lifespan

Infections, if not treated properly, can lead to potentially fatal complications that otherwise could have been prevented. Unfortunately, patients who are sick or recovering from surgery are at greater risk of developing infections. While hospitals and other medical facilities have strict policies about cleanliness and have measures in place to help prevent the spread of infectious organisms, it is not always possible to be 100% effective. There is no firewall protection against viruses and potential infections from occurring in these health care settings. For this reason, it is critical that nurses and other medical workers be aware of potential hazards in order to recognize symptoms of infection.

 

This week, you will consider the many emerging and re-emerging infections that a patient may contract and examine how the quality of care provided by a nurse might help ameliorate the situation. Nurses have an obligation to learn about potential diseases or infections, their symptoms, and the best course for treatment. You will also review different types of infections and explore how nurses can improve the care provided.

 

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases for nursing practice

Analyze emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in local communities

Analyze the role of the nurse in preventing and managing the impact of infectious diseases

Develop Fact Sheets on an infectious disease to use as a guide to improve public health

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Gonsalves, G., Staley, P. (2014). Panic, paranoia, and public health—The AIDS epidemic’s lessons for Ebola. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(25), 2348– 2349.

 

Halm, M. A., & O’Connor, N. (2014). Do system-based interventions affect catheterassociated urinary tract infection? American Journal of Critical Care, 23(6), 505-509. doi:10.4037/ajcc2014689

 

National Institutes of Health. (2007). Understanding emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20370/

 

Petlin, A., Schallom, M., Prentice, D., Sona, C., Mantia, P., McMullen, K., & Landholt, C. (2014). Chlorhexidine gluconate bathing to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus acquisition. Critical Care Nurse, 34(5), 17–26. doi:10.40377/ccn2014943

 

Pokrywka, M., Feigel, J., Douglas, B., Grossberger, S., Hensler, A. & Weber, D. (2014). A  bundle strategy including patient hand hygiene to decrease clostridium difficile infections. MedSurg Nursing, 23(3), 145-164.

 

Smeulers, M., Lucas, C., & Vermeulen, H. (2014). Effectiveness of different nursing handover styles for ensuring continuity of information in hospitalised patients. The Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews, (6), CD009979

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Ebola (Ebola virus disease). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/index.html?s_cid=cs_4318

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Zika virus. Retrieved August 11, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/

 

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2009c). Topics in clinical nursing: Emerging and re-emerging infections across the lifespan [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

 

 

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.