Standard Precautions Nursing
In nursing, standard precautions are a collection of infection control strategies applied by nurses and other healthcare professionals to stop the spread of diseases and safeguard patients and healthcare professionals themselves. Applied to all patients, regardless of diagnosis or infection status, these steps are regarded as the lowest degree of infection control. Standard precautions comprise appropriate hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves, masks, gowns, and eye protection, safe injection methods, and the right storage and disposal of contaminated equipment and waste. They also address environmental cleansing, cough etiquette, and respiratory hygiene. Nurses help to reduce the danger of bloodborne diseases and other infectious agents by regularly following basic procedures, therefore guaranteeing a safer hospital environment for all.