Drug Resistance In Nursing

Drug resistance is becoming a more well know incident amongst various countries and socioeconomic groups. With more and more research being done it is becoming apparent that drug resistance occurs one of three ways, over prescribing of antibiotics, mutation of genes and acquisition of new genes via horizontal transfer (Ackerman and Gonzales, 2012 & Cowen, 2011). As a result of the ever-growing drug resistant bacteria there is a constant need for reducing the amount of drug-resistant infections. Nurses play a key role in reduction when implementing proper professional practice (Moralejo, 2014). However, with various issues related to antibiotic administration practices such as medication errors, prophylactic antibiotic use and prescribing antibiotics for the wrong reason proves to be a battle to decrease infectious diseases. Although, with proper hand washing, personal protective equipment (PPE), the …show more content…
As a result of over prescribing, spontaneous mutation and horizontal gene transfer many diseases are becoming immune to antibiotics. With the implementation of a professional practice nurses play a large role in treating and caring for the sick. By broadening their range of knowledge, with various resources, nurses are able to provide the most competent and safe care for each patient. Although, due to the high paced work environment issues arise in regards to antibiotic administration. From errors made by nurses, to the wrong prescription being prescribed by a physician, both prove to be detrimental to a patient’s health. However, when using proper hand washing technique, correctly using and removing personal protective equipment, performing sterile and aseptic techniques and limiting the amount of antibiotic prescribed will reduce the spread if drug-resistant infectious diseases. Learning to control and prevent the spread of these diseases is imperative for every individuals