Ensuring appropriate patient placement
This resource provides guidance to assist the appropriate placement of patients receiving care in healthcare facilities, which is an important element of transmission-based precautions to prevent the spread of infection.
Patients are potentially at risk of acquiring, and transmitting, infectious conditions to other patients and healthcare workers. Patients should be assessed on, and during admission, to ensure that their bed allocation is both appropriate and timely. Patient placement is an important element of transmission-based precautions, along with the use of dedicated equipment, the use of appropriate PPE, and effective environmental cleaning.
The Commission has developed this Guide to support nurses, doctors, bed managers, patient flow managers and after-hours managers in the appropriate bed allocation, particularly in circumstances when infection prevention and control advice is not readily available.
Standardised infection control signage complements good patient placement by increasing the awareness of healthcare workers, patients and visitors to the necessary precautions required. Signage is available in several formats.