McCleary MRSA Prevention

I was introduced to the world of political lobbying yesterday.
I have had very little experience with such things. I learned a great deal. MSNA is incredibly supportive our bill, and for that I am grateful. The MSNA staff is very skilled at lobbying and they helped promote LD 1038 yesterday. Their members and other staff nurses around the State will be the stewards of MRSA Prevention with this new law.
It occurred to me yesterday that I have never commented on the nurses who cared for my father in his community hospital. His care was a tremendous challenge. He was completely helpless, on isolation and at times a little cantankerous. I couldn’t blame him. His clear mind was trapped inside his newly helpless body. It was totally unfair to him, my family and to the healthcare workers who cared for him. We all worked hard to take care of him after all.
I have stated that the precautions taken during my father’s stay were inconsistent. They were. But I cannot place blame on the direct care staff. They worked tirelessly caring for my father. I want to thank them for what they do every day and for the tender and compassionate care they gave my father and my family.
I place blame on an ineffective preventative policy regarding MRSA. Administrators write policy. Administrators monitor infection control compliance and infection clusters. Administrators appropriate funds for preventative programs.

The main goal of my proposal and all the work involved is that lives will be saved and fewer people will suffer the results of hospital acquired MRSA infections. Another goal is to empower direct caregivers with the tools and the policies necessary to actively prevent these infections. Unfortunately now, caregivers are given the assignment to care for too many people who are already infected. This approach by hospitals is reactive rather than proactive.

One of my many positions as an RN was doing triage at the front desk of a busy ER. I loved doing triage and if I do say so myself….I was darned good at it.
I recognized a Level I triage patient within a very few minutes or seconds of a patients arrival. As a triage nurse I did a quick efficient assessment of a patients symptoms, appearance, vital signs, and history to decide what level of triage they fell into. Simply put, Level 1 triage meant that a patient’s life or limb was in jeopardy. Wow, what better way to describe MRSA. MRSA infection prevention should be a Level I triage priority in Maine hospitals every single day….. Life and limb, literally are put at risk when hospital patients contract MRSA.
I reiterate…the nurses who cared for my father were phenomenal, and I thank them. I hold them in high regard and respect them for their hard work.