Standard 3 – Preventing and controlling hospital acquired infections

The intent of this standard is to ensure that we protect our patients from hospital acquired infections whilst in our care. This includes things such as hand hygiene, cleaning, sterilisation, staff health, aseptic technique, transmission based precautions and how we prescribe and deliver antimicrobials.

What can you do to help?

• Practice your 5 moments of hand hygiene
• Be bare below the elbow whilst in a clinical area
• Always practice principals of Standard precautions, this protects both you and the patient from infections.
• Be aware of patients under transmission based precautions and know how to identify them.
• Practice sharp safety and ensure sharps bins are used correctly and bracketed or attached to the wall or trolley.
• Cleaning of equipment between each patient use.
• Be aware that this standard is managed by the STARS Standard 3 Preventing and controlling infections committee and that we are a member of the Metro North Health NSQHS Standard 3 Committee
• If you are a clinician, be aware of the following:
  • where to locate Infectious Alerts on ieMR
  • where to locate Transmission based precautions posters in your area and how to read them
  • how to don and doff personal protective equipment and perform a fit check
  • where to locate consumer fact sheets relating to Infection Management and Prevention
  • know who your ward pharmacist is so you can escalate questions about antimicrobials
  • know what to do if you have an occupational exposure
  • be familiar with first aid post an occupational exposure

How do we measure our care?

NSQHS Standard 3 Interactive Spreadsheets are located on our webpage. To help the clinical staff keep patients safe, the outcomes of risk documentation and other audits are located here.

Some examples of what we measure for Standard 3 include:

• percentage and rates of hospital acquired infections within STARS including: multi-resistant organisms, urinary tract infections, blood stream infections, gastrointestinal infections
• percentage and rates of hand hygiene reporting
• percentage of Bare Below the Elbow
• summary of consumer audits on transmission based precautions.

If you have any questions or want to know more, please contact us in Safety and Quality – extension 77401 or email to STARS_SQU@health.qld.gov.au or STARSIMPSCNC@health.qld.gov.au

Visit STARS Infection Management and prevention intranet page for resources and information.

Ella van Raders
Director, Safety and Quality
Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Services (STARS)