A Simulation Study to Evaluate Improvements in Anesthesia Work Environment Contamination After Implementation of an Infection Prevention Bundle

The department of anesthesia for a Washington, D.C. hospital engaged the MedStar National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare to identify opportunities for improving the anesthesia work environment with aims to mitigate the risk of pathogen transmission during operating room procedures. The human factors approach included operating room visits for observation and thematic analysis to identify emerging themes. Process inconsistencies in hand hygiene and cleaning practices were indicative of system vulnerabilities, including organizational influences and the design of the physical environment. Work-space design recommendations as well as strategies to improve infection control processes and safety culture are presented.

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Can Assembly Performance and Work Environment be Jointly Optimized? An Example Discreet Event Simulation Study

10.32920/ryerson.14638512 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Patrick Neumann ◽

P Medbo

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Simulation Study ◽

Event Simulation ◽

Assembly Performance

Can Assembly Performance and Work Environment be Jointly Optimized? An Example Discreet Event Simulation Study

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Can Assembly Performance and Work Environment be Jointly Optimized? An Example Discreet Event Simulation Study

10.32920/ryerson.14638512.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Patrick Neumann ◽

P Medbo

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Simulation Study ◽

Event Simulation ◽

Assembly Performance

Can Assembly Performance and Work Environment be Jointly Optimized? An Example Discreet Event Simulation Study

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Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Critical Care

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc2015321 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 75-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Stijn Blot ◽

Elsa Afonso ◽

Sonia Labeau

Keyword(s):

Critical Care ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Work Environment ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Research Articles ◽

Early Mobility ◽

New Developments ◽

Heart Patients ◽

Care Workers

The intensive care unit is a work environment where superior dedication is crucial for optimizing patients’ outcomes. As this demanding commitment is multidisciplinary in nature, it requires special qualities of health care workers and organizations. Thus research in the field covers a broad spectrum of activities necessary to deliver cutting-edge care. However, given the numerous research articles and education activities available, it is difficult for modern critical care clinicians to keep up with the latest progress and innovation in the field. This article broadly summarizes new developments in multidisciplinary intensive care. It provides elementary information about advanced insights in the field via brief descriptions of selected articles grouped by specific topics. Issues considered include care for heart patients, mechanical ventilation, delirium, nutrition, pressure ulcers, early mobility, infection prevention, transplantation and organ donation, care for caregivers, and family matters.

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Establishing a Role for Vancomycin Powder Application for Prosthetic Joint Infection Prevention—Results of a Wear Simulation Study

The Journal of Arthroplasty ◽

10.1016/j.arth.2014.02.012 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 1449-1456 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Rabah Qadir ◽

J. Lockwood Ochsner ◽

George F. Chimento ◽

Mark S. Meyer ◽

Bradford Waddell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Simulation Study ◽

Prosthetic Joint Infection ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Wear Simulation ◽

Prosthetic Joint ◽

Vancomycin Powder

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Dyeing to Find Out How an “AWEsim” Bundle Can Impact Anesthesia Work Environment Contamination

Anesthesia & Analgesia ◽

10.1213/ane.0000000000003323 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 127 (3) ◽

pp. 594-595

Author(s):

Allan F. Simpao ◽

Mohamed A. Rehman

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Environment Contamination

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A Qualitative Study of Barriers to Personal Protective Equipment Use among Laundry Workers in Government Hospitals, Hawassa, Ethiopia

Journal of Environmental and Public Health ◽

10.1155/2020/5146786 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Aiggan Tamene ◽

Abel Afework ◽

Lewam Mebratu

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Work Environment ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Focus Group Discussions ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Individual Level ◽

Key Informant ◽

Government Hospitals

Background. The need to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases makes the use of personal protective equipment and safety medical devices compulsory among hospital laundry staff. The practice, however, remains to be low among hospital laundry staff members. Globally, not many studies seem to have been carried out to sufficiently tell us about the barriers to personal protective equipment use among hospital laundry workers. Related studies in Ethiopia are even fewer. This study assessed the barriers to personal protective equipment use among laundry staff of government hospitals in Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia, 2019. Methods. Two qualitative data-gathering methods—focus group discussions and key informant interviews—were used to collect data for this study. Eight focus group discussions were conducted with hospital laundry workers. Similarly, six key informant interviews were held with Infection Prevention and Patient Safety Officers. Thematic analysis was performed using Open Code 4.02. Result. Organizational- and individual-level barriers such as unavailability of essential personal protective equipment, a disharmonious work environment, low perception of susceptibility, and belief about personal protective equipment interference with work performance were identified as the major barriers to personal protective equipment use in the present study. Conclusion. Organizational- and individual-level barriers have been identified as causes for the low level of personal protective equipment use among hospital laundry workers. Therefore, improving institutional supplies in quantity and quality may have a positive implication for the improvement of infection prevention practices in the study area. Also, designing sustainable strategies and raising laundry workers’ awareness of a safe work environment may lead to the improvement of infection prevention practices.

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Confirmation of the Validity of the Relational Coordination Survey as a Measure of the Work Environment in a National Sample of Infection Preventionists

Journal of Nursing Measurement ◽

10.1891/1061-3749.23.3.379 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 379-392 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Heather M. Gilmartin ◽

Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz ◽

Sarah Thompson ◽

Karen H. Sousa

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

National Sample ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Relational Coordination ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Health Care Associated Infections ◽

Fit Index ◽

Infection Preventionists

Background: Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Prevention of HAIs requires multifaceted approaches that consider the work environment in which interventions are implemented. Purpose: This study assessed the construct validity of the Relational Coordination Survey (RCS) as a measure of the work environment in infection prevention departments. Methods: Data were obtained from 614 infection preventionists (IPs). Factor analysis and structural equation modeling tested the hypothesized model. Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the 28-item RCS was .91. Factor analyses confirmed a four-factor solution that explained 58.17% of the variance. The fit indices for the model indicated an adequate fit, χ2(346) = 699.38, p < .00; comparative fit index = .94; root mean square error of approximation = .06. Conclusions: The RCS may be a useful tool for measuring aspects of the work environment for IPs.

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