Mission: Infection Prevention
For a world with less infection
„Have you ever considered that working in a hospital isn’t all that different from being deployed in a warzone?“
Being a nurse is hard work - every day is a battle for the health and life of each one of your patients. What motivates the people that chose this job and what is the biggest difference compared to other professions?
Conflict, fear, and their greatest enemy: human resilience. Have you ever considered that working in a hospital isn’t all that different from working in a warzone? Photographer, Jo Müller, usually travels to conflict areas to capture humanity at its limits. His goal is to inspire empathy and respect for those sacrificing themselves for the greater good. In this series of photographs, he has transferred his approach to war photography to the setting of a hospital to achieve just that: Celebrate the healthcare professionals leaving it all on the battlefield as warriors against infection and disease.
In healthcare facilities, patients are usually very vulnerable, with a compromised immune system and MRSA becoming an increasingly serious problem. So, what is a strategy to protect patients from infections?
"Due to this the key is hygienic hand disinfection and use of personal protective devices. Our strategy of protecting patients from infections is based on adhering to the principles of barrier care, performing procedures in accordance with applicable SOPs, early introduction of an increased hygiene regime for patients with potentially dangerous bacterial strains and the use of appropriate protective equipment."
Their daily fight against infections makes the nurses real first-line warriors facing a common enemy. How important is the human factor and teamwork in preventing infections if you want patients to be safe?
Every good warrior needs a heart and a sword… What is the most important weapon in the fight against infections?
Hands are an irreplaceable working tool in patient care. How difficult is it to keep hands in good condition?
The difference between a war and hospital is that you can leave the hospital behind once the shift is over. This doesn’t make either situation less challenging. So, what does it take to have had a successful day at a hospital?
"This is one of the reasons why a nurse's work is not stereotypical. Every day we experience a situation where we see that our work is important, that it makes sense. Then, almost every day, we can say that it was a good day!"
