In recent weeks , the world of health care especially in Africa has been in chaos and has been take by surprise by the deadly virus called Ebola and Nurses Round take a look at the use of Universal Precaution Measures as tool for nurses to prevent the imminent occupational Hazard and much casualties from the Ebola War zone.
Ebola according to Wikipedia is:
Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms typically start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. There is then typically nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point, some people begin to have problems with bleeding.
The disease can be acquired when a person comes into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal such as a monkey or fruit bat.
Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the virus without being
affected by it. Once infection of a human occurs, the disease may be
spread from one person to another. It is reported that even a male survivor can still transmit it through semen.... No Hiding place!
- Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)
- Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)
- Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)
- Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)
- Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV).-WHO
Universal precautions refers to the practice, of avoiding contact with patients' bodily fluids, by means of the wearing of nonporous articles such as gloves, goggles, and face shields
Nurses Round take a microscopic look into how nurses in the Ebola Region can protect themselves from this deadly virus while still committing to the care of the infected patients.
In recent weeks, we have news that nurses have given their lives while caring for people with this merciless virus and it is fast spreading into other Countries moving very fast like a lightening without a definite destination of break. Physicians have given their lives and recognized or interviewed by the world news channels (CNN).
"Head nurse at Kenema Government Hospital’s Lassa fever unit and Ebola
management centre, Mbalu Fonie, succumbed to the same disease, along
with four other nurses working alongside her" and extract from AWOKO. this declares the Ebola from a battle field or war zone if in may use his words.
Every front is getting covered, but the fences are being overtaken by the soldiers who are ever ready to infect, kill and destroy every opposition in the Ebola war zone. We cannot say the exact numbers, but we know that Nurses are the ones always at their patients bedsides and we know we will definitly be more casualties if care is not taken with the way we handle the situation.
Now Nurses must go back to the Universal Precaution Measure which was developed back in 1980 and has been modified in recent years. This is a just an easy guide on how to protect ourselves from such a deadly infectious process. "I assume that in Africa, NURSES should be mandated to wear their cover aprons once they enter the ward premises. This is precaution to protect us from the contact from fluid of a patient with Ebola, wear our face mask to prevent sniffing of the virus and or prevent direct body contact with quarantine dress.
Universal Precautions tends to highlight all we need to do at all times in order to stay safe while caring for our patients in the hospitals, irrespective of the type of ailment suffered, nurses cannot continue to drop like flies and succumb to this deadly virus whereas we have a tool to caution its spread.
Nurses should wear Gloves at all times even in the Ebola Free Regions irrespective of the procedure performed, Nurses should put on Aprons, face mask, Eye wear, Gowns, Nursing boots, and most importantly wash hands with detergent under a running water after any single procedure. Isolation Practices should be one area where nurses should come from as they should be able to identified quick and isolate any patient who seems to manifest some symptoms of Ebola Virus. This may be a testing time for African Hospitals and care institutions as Precautionary Measures has long been forgotten and hence requires very urgent and swift movement to re-institute the practices in order to protest us from this unknown killer. We encourage all Head Nurses and Nurse Manager to dust and bring to live the Universal Precautionary Measures in every Health care institutions immediately to help Nurses in the fight against this virus and also help us in improving in the care of patients who are infected. Nurses should create awareness in the hospitals, conduct seminars and workshops on Ebola Virus and as well teach the patients about, it's spread prevention and the use of Universal Precautionary Measure. Lets get Talking!
We are soely responsible for our patients, we cannot abandon them, and we need to work with confidence while caring for them. Therefore let us all embrace and remind our fellow nurses who may forget in a hurry to care for a patient about the importance of being safe and the use of precautionary measure outlined here.Since there is no cure for now, We cannot fight it with our bare hands, it will bite us, we cannot shoot it as it will spree the blood and we cannot hug it as the fluid will soak us, hence let us get covered with our Precautionary Measures in order to come out on top. IT IS CURRENTLY IN AFRICA, BUT WE DON'T KNOW ITS NEXT DESTINATION. Though we are not praying for its spread to cause more damage as already has, but we want all nurses all over the world to get read and start using the Universal precaution even if it entails upgrading it or modifying it to sooth the current situation.
Tell us you view and contribute through our blog www.nurses-round.blogspot.com- Article written by NursesRound
Get more facts about infection Prevention and Universal Precautionary measures from ICN, WHO etc after the Jump
http://www.who.int/entity/ihr/en/index.html
http://articlesng.com/universal-precaution-tool-safe-healthcare-practice/
No comments:
Post a Comment