Level 3 in Adult Care Infection Prevention and Control Practice Assignment Sample

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Main Body: Infection Prevention and Control in Adult Care

Infection prevention and control play a vital role in adult care settings by reducing the risk of illness and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of individuals and care staff. Effective practices include identifying infection risks, maintaining high standards of hygiene, using protective equipment correctly, and following cleaning and decontamination procedures to prevent the spread of infection.

Level 3 in Adult Care Infection Prevention and Control Practice Assignment Sample

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Douglas Lockwood 8 Years | MSc

Structured samples are provided to support understanding of academic requirements and writing standards. With our UK assignment help, guidance is reflected through structured academic writing and originality. The Level 3 in Adult Care Infection Prevention and Control Practice sample outlines key infection types, PPE use, and cleaning responsibilities in adult care settings. These resources are intended solely for study and reference purposes.

1.1 Different types of infection

There are several types of infection which are spread due to various reasons given below:

• Viral infections: These are infections caused by the transmission of viruses. These viruses enter the body and, due to their genetic code, spread the disease in cells (Alhumaid et al., 2021). The diseases caused by this are common cold, rhinovirus, skin issues such as HPV, etc.
• Bacterial infections: These are the infections caused by the spread of bacteria in the body through direct or indirect contact or airborne transmission. The diseases caused by this include strep throat, tuberculosis, etc.
• Fungal infections: The disease caused by the fungus, such as ringworm, yeast infections, etc. These are caused due to direct contact, contaminated surfaces, spore inhalation, etc.

1.2 Identify individual developed risk

Various ways can be used to identify the individuals who have developed or are at risk of developing the infection, which are as follows:

• Signs and symptoms: There are signs and symptoms shown by the individuals, such as fever, child, loss of appetite, pain or discomfort, etc. (Tomczyk et al, 2022). These are the primary signs that show the changes in individuals which can be due to the infections.
• Medical history: the medical history of the person gives information on the chronic illness, recent surgery or wound.

Some actions can be taken to reduce the risks to the individuals and others, such as carers, peers, supervisors, professionals from other organisations, the community, volunteers, etc. 

• For personal hygiene, the care worker can constantly clean their hand and maintain hygiene, which is effective in reducing the risk of spread.
• Proper use and disposal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks, gloves, etc. can ensure the prevention of the infection from spreading.

1.3 Own role and responsibilities

The own role and responsibilities involved in the identification of the infection are given below:

• Through observation, it can be identified that there is no presence of the infection in the individuals through paying attention to signs and symptoms (Qureshi et al, 2022). These responsibilities reflect the standards and learning outcomes of Level 3 in Adult Care Infection Prevention and Control Practice, ensuring safe and effective care.
• The role is in reporting the suspected infection to the senior healthcare professionals.

The role and responsibilities involved in the spread of the infection are given below:

• Isolation: The own role and responsibilities in the spread of identified and suspected infection may involve the isolation of the individuals. This involves separating the individual and preventing their contact with others to prevent the outbreak in others around.
• Control measures: the own role and responsibilities to prevent the outbreak of the identified infection involve taking measures to control, such as disinfection, sanitisation, wearing PPE, etc.

1.4 Own role in supporting others

The role in supporting others, such as carers, managers, peers, community, etc., to follow the practice that can help reduce the spread of the infection is provided below:

• Raising awareness: the role to support others in preventing the outbreak of disease is to raise awareness and inform on the situation (Stewart et al, 2022). It also involves sharing knowledge on hygiene and sanitation to prevent the outbreak of infection.
• Encouragement: this is the own role in supporting others to follow safe practice through encouraging the practice and providing them with feedback on the same.
• Monitoring and reporting: the role involves supporting others to follow the practice to prevent the spread of disease involves monitoring and reporting. This involves continuous monitoring of the way practices are followed and reporting if there is any breach in the same to the authorities.

1.5 Own responsibilities in cleaning and decontamination

The owner's responsibilities to ensure the appropriate cleaning and decontamination of the environment and equipment involve the following:

• Ensuring that the right cleaning and decontamination substances are used for the process of cleaning and that safety protocols are followed in the process (Dhar et al, 2021). For example, the use of mops for different areas based on the colour, such as green for the kitchen only.
• Ensuring that the cleaning and decontamination are done regularly and at a fixed schedule. It also needs to ensure that the following safe practices are followed and prevent the spread of the infections.

2.1 Use of PPE

Risk can be assessed through the identification of the hazards, who may get harmed from it, analysing the risk to take preventive actions, recording it and working on updating it if the changes are required in the same (Centeleghe et al, 2024). Correct selection and use of PPE aligns with the guidelines taught in Level 3 in Adult Care Infection Prevention and Control Practice, emphasising protection for both staff and service users. The selection and use of PPE depend upon various factors given below:

• Type of risk: it depends on the type of risk that leads to selecting the particular PPE. For example, if the risk is normal while treating the patient with a common cold can wear gloves and masks to stay safeguarded from the risk detected.
• Level of risk: For example, if the risk involved is high, as if the individual is suffering from a deadly infection, such as coronavirus, it may require wearing the complete guard, including the face shield, gown the gloves and masks.
• For example, when dealing with the chemicals, it is needed to wear protective glasses and hand gloves.

2.2 Hand hygiene in care setting

• Before touching the patient: It is necessary to perform hand hygiene in the care setting before contacting the patient for treatment. It helps in preventing the spread of germs, which can be harmful to the infected person.
• Body fluid contact: it is crucial to maintain hand hygiene in case the care worker comes into contact with the body fluid of the infected patient (Skills for Care, 2025). This prevents the further spread of the infection and maintains safety.
• After treating the patient, the care worker, after contacting the patient, needs to wash their hand. The care worker may touch the skin and other objects which was surrounded and contacted by the patient. This prevents the spread of the disease to the self as well as others.

2.3 Hand hygiene using technique

Hand hygiene can be performed using products such as water, plain soap, hand wash and alcohol based sanitizer. The recommended techniques are given below:

• The hands need to be cleaned using water, soap and hand wash when there is dirt, blood stains and contact with the infected person or objects. This needs to be done for more than 15 seconds for proper cleaning in the running water, and then use an air dryer and clean tissue to wipe (Tartari et al, 2021). Using clean and lukewarm water and moisturising soap is beneficial for effective cleaning.
• Hand hygiene using the alcohol-based hand sanitizer is useful when water and soap cannot be accessed or present. Taking the specific amount of hand sanitizer that can cover the whole hand and needs to be rubbed until it gets completely dry.

2.4 Own health and hygiene

It is necessary to ensure that the own health and hygiene does not impact the individuals and others health and wellbeing. It can expose them to the risk of getting infected with the germs. Maintaining these standards is a core focus of Level 3 in Adult Care Infection Prevention and Control Practice, reinforcing the importance of personal responsibility in care settings.

• Maintaining personal hygiene can ensure the safety of others. Timely washing of the hands, covering face when sneezing and coughing, wearing clean clothes, etc., can help in the safe practices (Lowe et al, 2021).
• There can be use of health practices such as staying home or isolation if necessary when contracting an infection, check-ups on a regular basis, vaccinations, etc.
• Workplace activities such as wearing PPE, proper sanitization, and following the standards of safe and clean practices can ensure that individuals and others are not affected by the risk of ignorance in their own health and hygiene. 

References

• Alhumaid, S., Al Mutair, A., Al Alawi, Z., Alsuliman, M., Ahmed, G.Y., Rabaan, A.A., Al-Tawfiq, J.A. and Al-Omari, A., 2021. Knowledge of infection prevention and control among healthcare workers and factors influencing compliance: a systematic review. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 10(1), p.86.
• Centeleghe, I., Norville, P., Maillard, J.Y. and Hughes, L., 2024. Infection prevention control in practice: a survey of healthcare professionals' knowledge and experiences. Infection Prevention in Practice, 6(2), p.100357.
• Dhar, S., Sandhu, A.L., Valyko, A., Kaye, K.S. and Washer, L., 2021. Strategies for effective infection prevention programs: structures, processes, and funding. Infectious Disease Clinics, 35(3), pp.531-551.
• Lowe, H., Woodd, S., Lange, I.L., Janjanin, S., Barnett, J. and Graham, W., 2021. Challenges and opportunities for infection prevention and control in hospitals in conflict-affected settings: a qualitative study. Conflict and health, 15, pp.1-10.
• Qureshi, M.O., Chughtai, A.A. and Seale, H., 2022. Recommendations related to occupational infection prevention and control training to protect healthcare workers from infectious diseases: a scoping review of infection prevention and control guidelines. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), p.272.
• Stewart, S., Robertson, C., Pan, J., Kennedy, S., Dancer, S., Haahr, L., Manoukian, S., Mason, H., Kavanagh, K., Cook, B. and Reilly, J., 2021. Epidemiology of healthcare-associated infection reported from a hospital-wide incidence study: considerations for infection prevention and control planning. Journal of Hospital Infection, 114, pp.10-22.
• Tartari, E., Tomczyk, S., Pires, D., Zayed, B., Rehse, A.C., Kariyo, P., Stempliuk, V., Zingg, W., Pittet, D. and Allegranzi, B., 2021. Implementation of the infection prevention and control core components at the national level: a global situational analysis. Journal of Hospital Infection, 108, pp.94-103.
• Tomczyk, S., Twyman, A., de Kraker, M.E., Rehse, A.P.C., Tartari, E., Toledo, J.P., Cassini, A., Pittet, D. and Allegranzi, B., 2022. The first WHO global survey on infection prevention and control in health-care facilities. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 22(6), pp.845-856.

Online

• Skills for Care (2025). Supporting the adult social care sector. Online. Available through: <https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Home.aspx>