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Patient Hygiene as an Issue in Nursing Care
KONOPÍKOVÁ, Hana
The concept of hygiene is not related only to washing rituals and personal hygiene. Hygiene in healthcare includes also a set of professional measures, care practices, documentation and many more diverse aspects. However, the patient who is cared for, approach of nurses and paramedical personnel involved in care, are the most important aspects. Hygienic care also needs to be performed with fully or partially dependent patients, which is one of the areas dealt with in this bachelor thesis. In particular, patient care, his/her psychological state, motivation and willingness to become independent are of the utmost importance. Patient care should be carried out for patient's benefit and comfort while nurses need to dispose of sufficient time in order to deliver top quality care. One of the objectives of this bachelor thesis was to find out whether hygienic care contributes to patient's comfort and whether it has not become a mere routine for nurses. Secondly, opinions of nurses involved in everyday patient care have been analyzed. In order to meet the above-mentioned objectives, a qualitative research has been carried out, comprising interviews with nurses employed at the internal medicine unit of the Písek hospital Inc. The interviews have been recorded and subsequently rewritten down (see the appendix). The interviews have been accompanied by schemes. Hospitalization and illness always bring along many problems and, in the acute phases, hygiene might not necessarily be the priority. As soon as patients start recovering, they want to fulfil the necessities they are used to when at home. Hygiene, of course, belongs to these necessities. When a patient is not fully independent, he/she depends on nursing care or care of paramedical personnel. In this case, a nurse has to be prepared to provide help and also explain a patient everything he/she might need to know. The research showed that nurses are very communicative, which helps patients to feel better during hygienic care. The patients hospitalized welcome this care and are generally satisfied with its quality. Most patients reported that hygiene in the hospital is satisfactory and sufficient. In addition, they mentioned to be satisfied with the service delivered and feel better after it. From the point of view of nurses, hygiene care is performed carefully and with respect to patient's needs. Nurses should treat patients as equals, having in mind that they actually have the same needs. Hygiene is one of the primary needs and it is highly important as well in times of illness. The research showed that nurses consider the care performed as careful, regular and overall good. On the other hand, privacy and intimacy could be improved. The patients interviewed stated that hygiene is satisfactory and communication with nurses excellent. Responses to privacy and intimacy issues varied. The question is whether all patients in all hospital units/departments would share this experience.
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