Scenario
A healthcare administrator of a 180-bed facility oversees kitchen staff, including Susan, a kitchen assistant. Despite having flu-like symptoms after exposure to an ill family member, Susan reported to work, fearing she could not afford to stay home. She assisted in meal preparation before the chef noticed her condition and sent her home.
Contributing Factors to Health Risks
In this scenario, several contributing factors put the patients and other staff members at risk. Firstly, Susan’s contact with a family member who has influenza increases the likelihood of her infection. Secondly, Susan’s decision to come to work with severe sniffles and sneezes, feeling hot and cold, and experiencing body aches suggests that she may be in the early stages of the flu. This puts the patients and staff members at risk of contracting the virus if Susan is infected. Thirdly, Susan’s failure to inform anyone about her condition further exacerbates the risk as it prevents appropriate measures from being taken to protect others in the facility (Factors That Increase Your Risk for Food Poisoning, 2023).
Unsafe Food Preparation Practices
Regarding food preparation practices, Susan’s involvement in preparing three meals before being sent home by the chef puts the patients and staff members at risk. During food preparation, there is a risk of transmitting the influenza virus if Susan were to sneeze or cough near the food or if she were to touch the food without adequately washing her hands. The virus can also be transmitted through surfaces Susan may have encountered, such as utensils or countertops.
Major Contributing Factor
By coming to work as a kitchen assistant in the healthcare facility while exhibiting symptoms of the flu, Susan has committed the top four contributing factors to foodborne illness identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: poor personal hygiene, improper holding temperatures, contaminated equipment, and inadequate cooking. Poor personal hygiene is evident in Susan’s failure to adequately cover her sneezes and coughs and inform anyone about her condition.
Improper holding temperatures could occur if Susan handled food without washing her hands, potentially contaminating it with the flu virus (Kostelnick, 2023). Contaminated equipment could occur if Susan touched utensils or surfaces after sneezing or coughing, spreading the virus. Finally, inadequate cooking could occur if Susan handled raw or undercooked food without washing her hands, potentially spreading the virus to the food.
Reference
Factors that increase your risk for food poisoning. (2023). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Kostelnick, C. (2023). Mosby’s Textbook for Long-Term Care Nursing Assistants – E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.