‘I Learned How Things Work in a Healthcare Environment Through Practical Experience’

I am a foreign-trained dentist from India. Since coming to the United States, I have been a COVID-19 Health Ambassador for the University, and I was a part of the Campus Health Ambassador Team (CHAT). I am also a volunteer resident advocate with the Connecticut Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which focuses on providing elderly care and the smooth functioning of nursing facilities.

During the summer, I worked with Yale New Haven Health on various projects. I was accepted as an infection prevention intern, and I have been working with Yale on various research projects. Over the previous 50 years, there has been considerable evolution in infection prevention and control strategies.

Initially, I started working on a project involving the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, a yearly optional survey in which Leapfrog invites hospitals to disclose quality and safety statistics and then makes that information publicly available. According to Leapfrog, certain standards have to be followed. Yale-New Haven Hospital conducted audits to quantify the volume of alcohol-based hand sanitizer that comes out of the dispensers located in hospital rooms and hallways to fulfill the Leapfrog Hospital Survey guidelines.

Following the measuring procedure, we discovered that a few of the dispensers did not match the standards. Those dispensers were re-visited to ensure that they were fixed. The Leapfrog Safety Grade gives people crucial information about their risk of mishaps, injuries, mistakes, or accidents while receiving medical treatment.

Leapfrog helps people make informed decisions about their healthcare by providing the necessary data. To help patients and customers choose the best hospital or surgery center, they gather and report unique data. Leapfrog's goal is to use transparency to encourage high-value care and support educated healthcare decisions, which will result in significant improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of U.S. healthcare.

‘Hand hygiene is the leading measure for… reducing healthcare-associated infections’

Hospital management has driven hand hygiene compliance traditionally. There is a lack of literature studying the impact of the patient perception of hand hygiene, little communication with patients concerning the importance of hand hygiene, and few tools to assist patients to be empowered to advocate for Healthcare Worker's Hand Hygiene compliance. Hand hygiene is the leading measure for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance and reducing healthcare-associated infections.

"My summer internship was a wonderful experience."Dr. Aishwarya Gundawar ’23 MPH.

As an intern, I developed surveys and administered them to the patients and healthcare workers at Yale’s Smilow Cancer Hospital. The study’s goal was to observe a statistically significant improvement in hand hygiene compliance, patient knowledge of the importance of hand hygiene, and patient-to-nurse communication surrounding the importance of hand-hygiene compliance.

Together with a few other members of our infection prevention team and my supervisor, I created the hand hygiene tool kit, which was provided to patients. It included:
1) Hand hygiene education
2) Hand sanitizer to perform hand hygiene
3) Thank you card to give to staff “Thank you for washing your hands”
4) Sign to place at the head of the bed- “thank you for cleaning your hands before and after you care for me”

‘The purpose…was to educate’

I conducted hand-hygiene observations at certain Smilow Cancer Hospital units. I then gave nurses a general quiz on their opinions on patient-provided hand-hygiene education and its effect on nursing hand hygiene compliance. Then I gave the patients a typical test to see how much they knew about hand hygiene and how critical it was to avoid infections that could have been contracted in the hospital.

The purpose of the questionnaire was to educate and alter the behavior of the staff and patients. To assess the healthcare professionals' knowledge and awareness of hand-hygiene, a follow-up survey was conducted on the same units, and the staff members were asked new questions. Post-study inspections were made to ascertain whether hand hygiene compliance has increased in those units.

My summer internship was a wonderful experience. Not only did I learn a great deal, but I also made some really good friends in my department. My visits to the Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale's St. Raphael Campus offered me an understanding of how their administration operates. My interactions with patients over the course of several months taught me that working for the community's welfare necessitates not only a degree but also a person of high character.

‘I learned how things work in a healthcare environment’

The Infection Prevention Unit of the Yale Cancer Center strives to deliver high-quality care and patient satisfaction by lowering the incidence of hospital-acquired infections and raising hygiene compliance. I am delighted I was able to work with such a talented team, with all the experts in infection control and public health guiding me at every turn.

My career has benefited from this internship with Yale New Haven Health. I worked on several projects with them, and I am currently in the process of publishing two of the research projects, which have improved my research abilities.

I learned how things work in a healthcare environment through practical experience, which has expanded my horizons and enhanced my communication skills. As my public health career gets started, I am aware of my areas of interest and the steps I need to take to advance to the level of a competent public health specialist.

Dr. Aishwarya Gundawar ’23 MPH is a candidate in the University’s Master of Public Health program.