Development of a Policy Document to Prevent the Spread of the Influenza among the Clinical Staff - Essay Example

DEVELOPMENT OF A POLICY DOCUMENT – Influenza Pandemic Introduction This paper attempts to develop a policy document for the steps to be taken to during an influenza pandemic to prevent the spread of the infection to clinical staff caring for infected patients in the wards of a health care environment. Several reasons prompt the decision on the development of such a policy for health care institutions. During influenza pandemic individuals falling ill commonly seek assistance from the health care provider that provides their normal health care needs. This means that health care providers must be prepared to face the extra rush of patients during an influenza pandemic (Ablah, et al, 2008). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an influenza pandemic is an incident wherein “a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness”. Health care workers and particularly clinicians are in the frontline in dealing with the pandemic and so are face exposure to infection (Ives et al, 2009). Health care facilities make for a perfect environment for the quick spread of the infection putting the clinicians caring for the infected patients at a high risk for contracting the infection unless suitable preventive steps are put in place. The health care facilities are already an arena of heavy work load and loss of clinical staff due to contracting of influenza can lead to an overload situation and breakdown in the efficiency of the care provided to the infected patients. In addition clinical staffs contracting the infection pose a risk to their family and surroundings (Seale, Leask & MacIntyre, 2010). Exploration of the health care workers attitudes and beliefs regarding an influenza pandemic in Australia highlight certain important features. The first such feature is the belief that an influenza pandemic is a serious health concern, but there is limited preparedness in the health care environment to tackle it. The attitude includes a willingness to come to work, but would like more efficient means to prevent them from contracting the infection during the course of the care of patients (Seale et al, 2009). Policy The policy to prevent the spread of influenza to clinical staff caring for infected patients in the wards of a health care environment during an influenza pandemic will clearly show what the health care service intends to in commitment and support towards this objective to ensure health and safety in the workplace. The policy will contain the steps to be taken and make the ward leaders responsible for maintaining health and safety of the clinicians in the wards. While the health care service will be provide the financial and material resources, the actual implementation of the policy will lie in the domain of the clinical leaders at the ward level (Workers Compensation Board, 2004). Innovation at the health administration level in Australia is slow due to the large size of the health services. Furthermore, it efficient implementation of new policies requires leadership and change management, particularly when there are changes to the manner in which health care employees are expected to perform functions in the face of a new challenge. Encouraging leadership and change management at the ward level through clinical leadership will be the cornerstone on which the success of the policy to prevent the spread of influenza to clinical staff caring for infected patients in the wards of a health care environment during an influenza pandemic is built (Garling, 2008). In essence the influence on any policy pertaining to an environment is influencing the changes required in the environment. Policies lay out the plans with regard to the manner that the organization is expected to behave to facilitate these changes. In addition policies consist of the goals that are expected to be reached with serve to guide leaders and the teams in the environment. The changes required in implementing a new policy are a complex task, which becomes easier when there is strong influence from leadership in the environment. When we take into consideration the clinical environment medical and nursing leaders can play a strong influencing role that progress towards the objectives of the policy. They also can play a decisive role in the crafting of the policy and need to be included in the development of a policy with clarity in the elements of the policy that target the desired objectives of the policy, as in the case of the development of a policy in the case of influenza pandemic (Kerfoot & Chaffee, 2006). Objective of the Policy Document The objective of the policy document is to prevent the spread of the influenza infection to the clinical staff during an influenza pandemic. Elements of the Policy Document Guidance of the development of the elements of the policy is based on the nature of an influenza pandemic. A virus is a miniscule pathogen that is responsible for many diseases in humans through their ability to replicate themselves inside of the cells of the human body. Some of the more dangerous human diseases include rabies, ebola, AIDS and influenza. Antibiotics are useful against bacteria, but have no impact on viruses, making a viral infection more difficult to combat. As a consequence the focus in viral diseases is on the prevention of the spread of the viral infection, during an outbreak of a viral pandemic (House, 2008). The essential route of transmission of the influenza virus is through the droplets sprayed into the air during sneezing or coughing of the infected individual. These droplets can be propelled up to a distance of six feet from the infected individual. Another possible route of transmission of the infection is through the physical contact or touching of the secretions of an infected individual on the individual or objects contaminated by the secretion and then transmitting the virus to one’s own mouth or nose in the absence of proper washing of hands (Bartlett, 2009). This perspective of the spread of the influenza virus implies that the elements of the policy document must focus on the steps to be taken by the clinical staff during care of the infected individuals and the measures to be taken in spite of all the attention paid to minimize the possibility of infection during care of the infected patients. Awareness of the possible looming of an influenza pandemic on the horizon goes a long way in being prepared, when it strikes. This awareness is possible by maintaining a surveillance of levels of influenza on a nation al and community basis. Surveillance this becomes the first element of the policy (Azziz- Baumgartner et al, 2009). Patient segregation and limiting the access to clinical wards is the first element. This element limits the exposure of the other patients and the clinical staff to infected individuals to only those clinical staff involved in the care of the infected patients (Murphy, 2003). The second element is to make available adequate quantity of tissues and disposal bags, so that individuals can sneeze or cough into the tissues and dispose them in bags, which can be carefully transported and incinerated, thereby minimizing the risk of clinical staff coming on contact with contaminated objects while caring for the infected individuals (Bartlett, 2009).The third element is ensure that an adequate stock of face masks are available and that both patients and clinical staff attending on the infected individuals use face masks to minimise the risk of the clinical staff contracting the infection. Use of face masks in this manner was found to be extremely useful in preventing spread of avian influenza in Hanoi in 2004 (Liem, 2005). An additional precautionary element in this regard is to restrict the clinical staff to maintain a distance of six feet from the infected individual, unless the care needs demand otherwise (Morrison & Yardley, 2009). These elements in essence constitute the physical elements of the policy. The first of the non-physical elements is that clinical staff likely to be exposed to the infection during the pandemic must be given anti-viral vaccinations to boost their immunity to reduce their contracting the infection. Such a step is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the United States of America as vaccination is the primary prevention method (Smith et al, 2006). In addition to the anti viral vaccine to boost the prevention steps all clinical staff must go on an antiviral drug regime. Anyone of the antiviral drugs of oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine or rimantadine may be used for this purpose (Plans, 2008). In spite of all these measures, should a clinical staff suspect signs of influenza, then the clinical staff should remain at home and not come to work reducing the risk of transmission of the infection. The normal period during which it is possible to transmit the infection is five days and so this isolation period should be for a minimal period of five days (Carrat et al, 2008). Conclusion The potential risk for an influenza pandemic is high and can occur at any time. Developing policy documents to address the various aspects of an influenza pandemic is thus a real concern. Clinical staffs are at a high risk for contracting the infection due to the nature of their work. This paper develops a policy document with the objective of minimizing the risk of clinical staff contracting the infection as they go about their job functions. Literary References Ablah, E., Tinius, A. M., Horn, L., Williams, C & Gebbie, K. M. 2008, ‘Community Health Centers and Emergency Preparedness: An Assessment of Competencies and Training Needs, Journal of Community Health, vol.33, no.4, pp.241-247. 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