PICOT

Answer

Flu Vaccination among Health Care Workers (HCWs)

Introduction

            Seasonal influenza is the cause of hospitalization of thousands of people in the United States. According to study conducted by Bert et al. (2020), influenza causes the death of about 40,000 individuals of which mostly are young and the old individuals, and it has been recognized by World Health Organization (WHO) as number nine cause of death in the United States. At its centre of spread, health workers have been recognized as the major contributors because they are exposed to the patients as well as the communities. Studies reveal that only about 60 percent of healthcare workers get annual vaccination, a figure that is much below the target which is 90 percent (Durando etal., 2020). Remarkably, mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers against seasonal influenza has been recommended by many stakeholders, stating that healthare workers have the ethical obligatory to protect not only the patients but also the communities that they interact with on their daily activities. It is in this context that this project identifies an evidenced-based practice (EBP) that can assist healthcare workers to participate in mandatory and annual influenza vaccination to break the chain of spread of the disease.

PICO Question

The EBP will use the acronym “PICO” which stand for; P- population or disease; I- intervention; C-comparison; O-outcome. As such, the PICO question in this particular case is; among Health Care Workers (HCWs) (P), how does an education intervention that  include evidence-based information on the risks of influenza and the efficacy of the vaccine (I) compared to no educational intervention (C) improve the rate of nurses accepting the seasonal influenza vaccine (O)? 

Evidenced-Based Solution

The evidenced based solution to low rate of influenza vaccination among burses is education. A study conducted by Durando et al. (2020) reveals that the laxity among nurses to boycott mandatory and annual influenza vaccination has been caused by lack of information about the consequences that are contributed by influenza. According to the study conduct by Bert et al. (2020), educational intervention plays an important role in compliance with influenza vaccination. Health Care Workers (HCWs) should be aware of what the vaccine is, its mode mechanisms, and its risk and side effects. The educational program is likely to address the risk factors of contracting the disease and health workers who report to work with symptoms of the disease hence spread. The education intervention incorporates the leadership model program that gives senior leaders the opportunity to interact with other employees and support the program by citing its importance within and outside the hospital.

Nursing Intervention

Nurses are identified as fundamental to quality healthcare. They are considered to do the bulk of the work. In this particular project, nurses are the major problem. Instead of protecting lives of patients as well the community as a whole they are the agents who spread influenza (Conte et al., 2017). It is in this context that senior nurses should take the responsibility of teaching the junior nurses on the importance of annual vaccination. On the same note, it should be the role of all other Health Care Workers to ensure that the populations that they are taking care of are safe and protected from these emerging and existing diseases.

Patient Care

Patient care is one of the core responsibilities of every nurse or any healthcare provider. In the event that they are part of agents that spread diseases in the community and among patients, they fail to fulfill their obligatory responsibility. It is in this context that Health Care Workers must be at the forefront when it comes to taking care of patients. By being vaccinated for influenza, they protect patients as well as the community.

Health Care Agency

Health care agencies that will benefit from this evidence-based practice are the hospitals. A study conducted by Di Martino et al. (2020) reveals that some hospital do not serve their purposes of provision of care. Basically, hospitals are reservoirs for several diseases. As part of critical component of hospitals, nurses have the responsibilities that such institutions are safe for patients and their families,

Nursing Practice

It is important to improve health worker’s competence in efficient execution of their services and responsibilities. It is, therefore, essential to develop training programs which will equip these healthcare practitioners with adequate skills and competence about influenza (). This will not only enhance nursing staff professionalism but aid in achieving the core healthcare goal of quality patient outcome.