BAG TECHNIQUEBAG TECHNIQUE– – a tool making use of public a tool making use of public

health bag through which the health bag through which the nurse, during his/her home visit, nurse, during his/her home visit, can can perform nursing procedures perform nursing procedures with ease and deftness, saving with ease and deftness, saving time and efforttime and effort with the end in with the end in view of rendering effective view of rendering effective nursing care.nursing care.

Public health bagPublic health bag

• - - is an is an essential and essential and indispensable equipmentindispensable equipment of of the public health nurse the public health nurse which he/she has to which he/she has to carry carry along when he/she goes along when he/she goes out home visiting. out home visiting.

• It contains It contains basic basic medicationsmedications and and articlesarticles which are which are necessary for giving necessary for giving care.care.

RationaleRationale

• To render To render effective effective nursing carenursing care to clients to clients and /or members of the and /or members of the family during home family during home visit.visit.

PrinciplesPrinciples

• The use of the bag The use of the bag technique should minimize technique should minimize if not totally prevent the if not totally prevent the spread of infection from spread of infection from individuals to families, individuals to families, hence, to the community. hence, to the community.

PrinciplesPrinciples

• Bag technique should Bag technique should save time and effort on save time and effort on the part of the nurse in the part of the nurse in the performance of the performance of nursing procedures. nursing procedures.

PrinciplesPrinciples

• Bag technique should not Bag technique should not overshadow concern for the overshadow concern for the patient rather should show the patient rather should show the effectiveness of total care given effectiveness of total care given to an individual or family. to an individual or family.

PrinciplesPrinciples

• Bag technique can be Bag technique can be performed in a variety of ways performed in a variety of ways depending upon agency depending upon agency policies, actual home situation, policies, actual home situation, etc., as long as principles of etc., as long as principles of avoiding transfer of infection is avoiding transfer of infection is carried out. carried out.

Special Special Considerations in Considerations in the Use of the Bagthe Use of the Bag

1.The bag should contain 1.The bag should contain all necessary articles, all necessary articles, supplies and equipment supplies and equipment which may be used to which may be used to answer emergency answer emergency needs. needs.

2. The bag and its contents 2. The bag and its contents should be cleaned as should be cleaned as often as possible, often as possible, supplies replaced and supplies replaced and ready for use at any time. ready for use at any time.

3. The bag and it’s contents 3. The bag and it’s contents should be well protected from should be well protected from contact with any article in the contact with any article in the home of the patients. Consider home of the patients. Consider the bag and it’s contents clean the bag and it’s contents clean and /or sterile while any article and /or sterile while any article belonging to the patient as dirty belonging to the patient as dirty and contaminated. and contaminated.

4. The arrangement of the 4. The arrangement of the contents of the bag should contents of the bag should be the one most convenient be the one most convenient to the user to facilitate the to the user to facilitate the efficiency and avoid efficiency and avoid confusion. confusion.

5. Hand washing is done as 5. Hand washing is done as frequently as the frequently as the situation calls for, helps situation calls for, helps in minimizing or avoiding in minimizing or avoiding contamination of the bag contamination of the bag and its contents. and its contents.

6. The bag when used 6. The bag when used for a communicable for a communicable case should be case should be thoroughly cleaned thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and disinfected before keeping and re-using. keeping and re-using.

Contents of the BagContents of the Bag• Paper lining Paper lining • Extra paper for making bag for waste Extra paper for making bag for waste

materials (paper bag) materials (paper bag) • Plastic linen/lining Plastic linen/lining • Apron Apron • Hand towel in plastic bag Hand towel in plastic bag • Soap in soap dish Soap in soap dish • Thermometers in case [one oral and rectal] Thermometers in case [one oral and rectal] • 2 pairs of scissors [1 surgical and 1 2 pairs of scissors [1 surgical and 1

bandage] bandage] • 2 pairs of forceps [ curved and straight] 2 pairs of forceps [ curved and straight]

Contents of the BagContents of the Bag• Syringes [5 ml and 2 ml] Syringes [5 ml and 2 ml] • Hypodermic needles g. 19, 22, Hypodermic needles g. 19, 22,

23, 25 23, 25 • Sterile dressings [OS, C.B] Sterile dressings [OS, C.B] • Sterile Cord Tie Sterile Cord Tie • Adhesive Plaster Adhesive Plaster • Dressing [OS, cotton ball] Dressing [OS, cotton ball]

Contents of the BagContents of the Bag• Alcohol lamp Alcohol lamp • Tape Measure Tape Measure

•Baby’s scale Baby’s scale •1 pair of rubber gloves 1 pair of rubber gloves •2 test tubes 2 test tubes •Test tube holderTest tube holder

• Medicines Medicines – betadine betadine – 70% alcohol 70% alcohol – ophthalmic ointment ophthalmic ointment

(antibiotic) (antibiotic) – zephiran solution zephiran solution – hydrogen peroxide hydrogen peroxide – spirit of ammonia spirit of ammonia – acetic acid acetic acid – benedict’s solution benedict’s solution

STEPS/PROCEDURESSTEPS/PROCEDURESSafe and Quality Nursing Safe and Quality Nursing

CareCare

• 1. Upon arriving 1. Upon arriving at the client’s at the client’s home, place the home, place the bag on the table bag on the table or any flat surface or any flat surface lined with paper lined with paper lining, clean side lining, clean side out (folded part out (folded part touching the touching the table). table).

• Put the bag’s Put the bag’s handles or handles or strap beneath strap beneath the bag. the bag.

• To protect To protect the bag from the bag from contaminatiocontamination. n.

•2. Ask for a 2. Ask for a basin of basin of water and a water and a glass of water glass of water if faucet is if faucet is not available. not available. Place these Place these outside the outside the work area. work area.

•To be used To be used for for handwashinghandwashing..To protect To protect the work the work field from field from being wet. being wet.

• 3. Open the 3. Open the bag, take the bag, take the linen/plastic linen/plastic lining and lining and spread over spread over work field or work field or area. The paper area. The paper lining, clean lining, clean side out (folded side out (folded part out). part out).

• To make a To make a non-non-contaminatecontaminated work field d work field or area. or area.

• 4. Take out hand 4. Take out hand towel, soap dish towel, soap dish and apron and and apron and the place them the place them at one corner of at one corner of the work area the work area (within the (within the confines of the confines of the linen/plastic linen/plastic lining). lining).

•To prepare To prepare for for handwashinhandwashing.g.

• 5. Do 5. Do handwashing. handwashing. Wipe, dry with Wipe, dry with towel. Leave towel. Leave the plastic the plastic wrappers of wrappers of the towel in a the towel in a soap dish in soap dish in the bag. the bag.

• Handwashing Handwashing prevents prevents possible possible infection infection from one from one care provider care provider to the client. to the client.

• 6. Put on apron 6. Put on apron right side out right side out and wrong side and wrong side with crease with crease touching the touching the body, sliding body, sliding the head into the head into the neck strap. the neck strap. Neatly tie the Neatly tie the straps at the straps at the back. back.

• To protect the To protect the nurses’ nurses’ uniform. uniform. Keeping the Keeping the crease creates crease creates aesthetic aesthetic appearance. appearance.

• 7. Put out things 7. Put out things most needed for most needed for the specific case the specific case (e.g.) (e.g.) thermometer, thermometer, kidney basin, kidney basin, cotton ball, waste cotton ball, waste paper bag) and paper bag) and place at one place at one corner of the corner of the work area. work area.

• To make To make them readily them readily accessible. accessible.

• 8. Place waste 8. Place waste paper bag paper bag outside of outside of work area. work area.

• 9. Close the 9. Close the bag. bag.

• To prevent To prevent contamination of contamination of clean area. clean area.

• To give comfort To give comfort and security, and security, maintain maintain personal hygiene personal hygiene and hasten and hasten recovery. recovery.

• 10. Proceed to 10. Proceed to the specific the specific nursing care or nursing care or treatment. treatment.

• 11. After 11. After completing completing nursing care or nursing care or treatment, clean treatment, clean and alcoholize and alcoholize the things used. the things used.

• To prevent To prevent contamination contamination of bag and of bag and contents. contents.

• To protect To protect caregiver and caregiver and prevent spread prevent spread of infection to of infection to others. others.

• 12. Do handwashing again.12. Do handwashing again.

• 13. Open the bag and put back 13. Open the bag and put back all articles in their proper places.all articles in their proper places.

• 14. Remove apron folding away 14. Remove apron folding away from the body, with soiled from the body, with soiled sidefolded inwards, and the clean sidefolded inwards, and the clean side out. Place it in the bag. side out. Place it in the bag.

• 15. Fold the 15. Fold the linen/plastic lining, linen/plastic lining, clean; place it in clean; place it in the bag and close the bag and close the bag. the bag.

• 16. Make post-visit 16. Make post-visit conference on conference on matters relevant to matters relevant to health care, taking health care, taking anecdotal notes anecdotal notes preparatory to final preparatory to final reporting. reporting.

• To be used To be used as as reference reference for future for future visit. visit.

•17. Make 17. Make appointment appointment for the next for the next visit (either visit (either home or home or clinic), taking clinic), taking note of the note of the date, time and date, time and purpose. purpose.

•For follow-For follow-up care. up care.

After CareAfter Care•1. Before keeping all 1. Before keeping all articles in the bag, clean articles in the bag, clean and alcoholize them.and alcoholize them.

•2. Get the bag from the 2. Get the bag from the table, fold the paper lining table, fold the paper lining (and insert), and place in (and insert), and place in between the flaps and between the flaps and cover the bag.cover the bag.

Evaluation and Evaluation and DocumentationDocumentation

•3. Record all relevant 3. Record all relevant findings about the client findings about the client and members of the family.and members of the family.

•4. Take note of 4. Take note of environmental factors environmental factors which affect the which affect the clients/family health.clients/family health.

•5. Include quality of nurse-5. Include quality of nurse-patient relationship.patient relationship.

•6. Assess effectiveness of 6. Assess effectiveness of nursing care provided.nursing care provided.

•Reference:Reference:•Community Health Nursing Community Health Nursing

Services in the Philippines, Services in the Philippines, DOHDOH