If it’s a relatively rare occurrence. then perhaps just keeping the patient as far away from everyone as possible may be the only option.
It’s not a relatively rare occurrence in a large acute hospital during a pandemic.
Bearing in mind that if a Covid pt goes to X-ray etc, surely the room will have to be aired out afterwards so they should be taken there at the end of the day where possible (unless absolute emergency) so things may be quieter.
In my hospital we have green and red areas for x-ray. The room wouldn’t need to be “aired out” for a particular amount of time if a patient with covid had an x-ray, as an x-ray is not an aerosol generating procedure (AGP). If it was an AGP, then the amount of time it needed to be left empty before cleaning would depend on the rate of air changes per hour of that particular room, which would be assessed and documented by infection control and written up as a guideline. So for example in my hospital it varies from needing to wait 20, 5 or zero minutes after an AGP before doing any cleaning depending on the particular room. All patients are treated as potentially having covid when it comes to AGPs, so are all treated the same.
If your ward has a lot of patients like this (Covid +ve, demented, unable to wear a mask, needing an urgent trip out if their room), then management and IPC should have something in place. Separate entrances, Covid patients scheduled for a certain time of day etc.
I’m not based on a ward atm, but there are lots of patients who struggle with masks for various reasons. The hospital has separate red and green areas of A&E, x-ray, theatres, cardiac catheter labs, ICU, and all the wards are assigned as either red or green. Completely separate entrances and corridors for all departments are a bit tricky without rebuilding the hospital. In your example of needing a chest x-ray, we would just request a portable one to come to the ward. As a side note, I really hate the word "demented" to describe a person with dementia, sounds so dehumanising.
If not, why not? Are other wards in the same boat? Could you put something in writing all together? If so and if management and IPC still not willing to come up with something, the hospital is putting a huge number of staff and vulnerable patients at risk.
I’m happy with the current infection control guidelines at my hospital. They make logical sense. My scenario was just a realistic example of how sometimes the guidelines aren’t always followed to the absolute letter.
You previously said:
“I’m not a nurse but I’m a frontline HCW.
In a hospital which would not tolerate the laxity mentioned by the OP.
I’m surprised at the defensiveness and petulance at such poor infection control practice being challenged by the many patients/visitors on this thread.
Thankfully not every hospital or nurse is like this but clearly, unfortunately, some are.”
So naturally I was curious to see what your solution would be in the above scenario.
It really is totally unacceptable. If you’re not being supported, I do sympathise greatly.
The only way would be to put something in writing to your MP or newspaper...whistleblowing! But...you could lose your job for that...disgracefully so.
So difficult.
Whistle blow about what exactly? Following the infection control guidance as set out by Public Health England? If I had concerns about infection control guidelines not being followed in my area, my first port would be to speak to my manager and follow it up with an email so it was in writing, and then her manager, and then the matron of my department. If I was still failing to get anywhere, I’d contact the CQC. I wouldn’t go to a newspaper or my MP.