Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse II

Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse II

Professional accountability in nursing is a multifaceted concept that encompasses professional ethics, legal standards, and employment expectations. This framework ensures that nurses maintain and elevate the quality of care while upholding the values of their profession. It compels them to treat patients, families, and colleagues with respect, compassion, and integrity.
For example, a nurse demonstrating respect and compassion might listen attentively to a patient's concerns, provide comfort...

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...

Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse I

Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse I

Accountability in nursing is a fundamental principle that underscores the obligation of nurses to take responsibility for their actions and answer for any errors or omissions in patient care. This principle is grounded in the professional, legal, and ethical frameworks that shape nursing practice. For instance, nurses must adhere to all relevant laws, regulations, and practice standards, including guidelines set forth by nursing boards and professional bodies, to ensure their actions comply...

Ethical Standards I

Ethical Standards I

The American Nurses Association (ANA) created and implemented the first nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Code of Ethics is a living document regularly updated by the ANA and establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable for nurses in all roles and settings.
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...

Ethical Standards II

Ethical Standards II

Ethical standards are the backbone of nursing practice, guiding nurses as they interact with patients, families, and colleagues. These standards are crucial for providing safe, empathetic care centered on the patient's needs.
Nurses are entrusted with upholding various ethical principles and standards. Nurses forge solid therapeutic relationships using trust, empathy, autonomy, confidentiality, and professional competence.
Confidentiality is crucial, embodying respect for individual privacy and...

Ethics and Bioethics

Ethics and Bioethics

Ethics is a philosophical study of moral actions. Ethics attempts to determine what is valuable for individuals and society. It examines the rational justification of moral judgments and analyzes what is morally just, fair, and right. Bioethics is a sub-discipline of applied ethics that analyzes the philosophical, social, and legal issues in life sciences and medicine. Ethical theories serve as a foundation for decision-making and represent the viewpoints from which people seek direction. They...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Planning For Unmet Social Needs In Pandemics: Teachers' Experiences Of Unacknowledged Care Work.

Public health ethics·2026

Same author

Using Video-Reflexive Methods to Develop a Provider Down Protocol for the New South Wales Biocontainment Center.

Health security·2024

Same author

Risk assessment and the use of personal protective equipment in an emergency department: Differing perspectives of emergency and infection control clinicians. A video-vignette survey.

American journal of infection control·2024

Same author

Hospital health care workers' use of facial protective equipment before the COVID-19 pandemic, implications for future policy.

American journal of infection control·2023

Same author

Erratum to "Real world impact of 13vPCV in preventing invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in Australian children: A national study" [Vaccine 41(1) (2023) 85-91].

Vaccine·2023

Same author

Why ethical frameworks fail to deliver in a pandemic: Are proposed alternatives an improvement?

Bioethics·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Published on: February 24, 2026

Infection control, ethics and accountability.

Gwendolyn L Gilbert¹, Paul Y Cheung, Ian B Kerridge

¹Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia. l.gilbert@usyd.edu.au

The Medical Journal of Australia

|June 17, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Preventable health care-associated infections (HAIs) in Australian hospitals require multifaceted prevention strategies. Bundled approaches, including hand hygiene compliance and sanctions, can improve patient safety and reduce HAI rates.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Automated Hospital Room Disinfection Utilizing a Novel Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Microdroplet Disbursing Technology

Published on: February 24, 2026

Area of Science:

Infection Control
Public Health
Hospital Management

Background:

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) pose significant clinical and economic burdens in Australian hospitals.
A substantial number of HAIs are preventable through targeted interventions.
HAIs result from a complex interplay of environmental, microbiological, pathological, behavioral, and organizational factors.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the preventable nature of HAIs in Australian hospitals.
To emphasize the need for multifaceted, "bundled" approaches to infection prevention.
To address the ethical implications of patient harm due to avoidable HAIs.

Main Methods:

Implementing "bundled" infection control strategies.
Developing appropriate policies and educational programs for healthcare workers.
Ensuring adequate resources for effective implementation of infection control measures.
Considering safeguards and sanctions for non-compliance with infection control policies, including hand hygiene.

Main Results:

Multifaceted "bundled" approaches are necessary for effective HAI prevention.
Organizational systems failures and non-compliance with evidence-based policies contribute to HAIs.
Bundled infection control strategies, with appropriate safeguards and sanctions, can achieve sustained improvements in reducing HAIs.

Conclusions:

Effective prevention of HAIs requires a comprehensive, "bundled" approach.
Addressing organizational failures and promoting compliance with hand hygiene are critical.
Bundled infection control interventions, including sanctions, offer a promising strategy for sustained improvement in patient safety.