Nurses have a critical role in infection control - from monitoring, prevention and beyond. They serve as the front line of defence, working directly with patients to provide the care and support that reduces the spread of infectious diseases.

However, nurses can only protect against infection and tackle other issues related to healthcare if they have access to the right resources. Investing in care through suitable infection control equipment is key to keeping patients safe from contagions and other public health concerns. This is due – at least in part – to their ability to streamline infection control processes and allow medical teams to inject new efficiency into healthcare tasks.

According to public health research in the UK, there were an estimated 13,900 HCAIs among 810,000 front-line healthcare professionals from 2016-2017.

Outbreaks of infection are, of course, not isolated to patients alone (although protecting the vulnerable is a topmost priority). Nurses and other healthcare workers are also at risk of catching illnesses that spread around the care environment.

At a time when staffing is undeniably stretched (as of March 2022, there were 39,652 unfilled nursing roles in the NHS in England), keeping the workforce fighting fit is imperative.

A thinly-staffed ward presents not only a workflow challenge, but a risk to patients – so it should go without saying that defending patients means defending nurses, too.

Leveraging leading-edge infection control technology enables nurses to not only improve outcomes, but save time while working under pressure.

Many specialist infection control solutions are carefully designed to not only kill bacteria, but annul convoluted processes which achieve poor results, despite the additional labour.

A medical pulp macerator is a prime example of infection control ingenuity in action.

Washing bedpans by hand is an arduous, ineffectual process that quickly depletes time and resources, while exposing clinicians and patients to cross-contamination threats. It also requires costly and onerous equipment in order to achieve barely adequate sanitation - such as industrial gloves, sponges, and hazardous cleaning products.

A single-use bedpan strategy enables safe human waste management with fewer resources - saving time, energy, and risk. Bedpan macerators are key to this process; they pulverise pulp containers and their contents into tiny particles, before discharging them into the main sewage system. This is far more hygienic than cleaning a bedpan by hand – not to mention quicker and easier.

As a result, staff safety is vastly improved - as well as creating a more productive care-giving environment.

Infection control innovation is progressing at pace, delivering improved options to nurses who need to uphold exceptional infection control standards while working in testing conditions.

Infection control experts like DDC Dolphin are leading the way towards a safer future for care environments.

Not only does continued development of infection control technology underpin the elimination of dangerous pathogens, but the refinement of infection prevention workflows offers nurses a lifeline when it comes to working quickly, efficiently, and safely to support patients.

Keeping up to speed with the latest advancements allows healthcare providers to tackle evolving challenges, often in ways that were impossible before the latest innovations hit the market.

These include…

• Using vacuum technology to sanitise and hermetically seal dirty waste bags. This allows clinicians to dispose of waste quickly, easily and hygienically (even in areas where bedpan washer or pulp macerator use is not possible) and also save on waste collection costs.
• Disinfectant wipes which cleanse surfaces without the need for detergents, disinfectant sprays or multi-step processes. Users are empowered to save time for critical tasks, while still being confident that their cleaning process is effective and efficient.
• UV air purifiers which draw in polluted air and treat it using UV light and photocatalytic oxidation.  Proven to destroy viruses such as influenza as well as E. coli, salmonella, and similar bacteria, they are highly effective in removing unpleasant smells, killing bacteria that cause malodours, improving hygiene and leaving rooms smelling fresh and clean.
• Eco-friendly patient wipes that are maceratable, flushable, dispersible, biodegradable, and compostable. Fully tested and compliant with EDANA and INDA standards of flushability, eco-friendly wipes are designed with all personal care and cleaning tasks in mind – making them ideal for use in hospitals, care homes, nursing homes and domiciliary care.

DDC Dolphin will help you to establish the most appropriate infection control solution to empower your nurses - enabling efficiency, personal protection, and excellent patient care.

Here are 10 reasons why you should choose to work with us.