Standard Precautions Among Health Care Workers in Ambulatory Units

Abstract

Standard precautions are the minimum infection prevention practices that apply to all patient care, regardless of suspected or confirmed infectious status of the patient, in any setting where health care is delivered. These practices are designed to prevent from spreading infections among patients. There are seven standard precautions include hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) (gloves, eyewear, gowns & masks), respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, sharps safety, (engineering and work practice controls), safe injection practice (i.e. Aseptic technique for parental medications), sterile instruments and devices, and cleaning and disinfecting of the environmental surfaces (Central Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Ambulatory care unites refers to medical or surgical care that is rendered for consultative, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes in facilities where the patient does not remain overnight (William Osler Health System, 2018). Ambulatory care is provided in a variety of settings, including physician’s offices, hospital-based clin