NERS NEWS — Students of the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga, organized a health education session titled “Take Care: Preventing Postoperative Infections Together.” The activity was conducted through lectures, question-and-answer sessions, and live demonstrations of the six-step handwashing technique. The students utilized educational media such as leaflets and posters to enhance patients’ families’ understanding of proper infection prevention after surgery at home. Through this combination of methods, it is expected that families will not only understand the material theoretically but also be able to correctly practice handwashing as a primary step in preventing postoperative infections.
This health education session was delivered directly to families of post-operative patients who were waiting in the operating room (OR) waiting area. The material covered the definition of infection, its causes, recognition of signs and symptoms, and practical prevention measures. The presenters emphasized the crucial role of families in maintaining wound sterility and personal hygiene to accelerate recovery and prevent further complications.
The session was attended by families of post-operative patients in the 7th-floor OR waiting room at Universitas Airlangga Hospital. The entire program, from registration to closing, was conducted from 09:00 to 10:00 AM (WIB) by Group 7 students from the Medical-Surgical Nursing clinical rotation.
This activity was initiated in response to the important role of families as primary caregivers in preventing infection-related complications at home. The program represents tangible support for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, by enhancing public understanding of independent disease prevention practices.
The activity was directly supervised by Perawat (Nurse) Prieza Ferdania C, S.Kep., Ns., Head Nurse of the 7th-floor Operating Room at Universitas Airlangga Hospital. This supervision ensured that the educational procedures and the six-step handwashing demonstration were aligned with professional nursing practice standards implemented in the hospital.
This activity contributes to the achievement of sustainable development targets, including:SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being — Through improving health literacy to prevent infection and enhance postoperative patient outcomes.SDG 4: Quality Education — By providing informative and accurate health education to the public.
Through this PKRS initiative, it is hoped that patients’ families will not only understand the theory but also be able to prevent postoperative infections in practice. This preventive effort is expected to reduce postoperative morbidity rates and strengthen the contribution of the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga, in delivering impactful educational services to the community.
Writer: Fianita Fitri Sa’idah
Editor: Nandyta Putri Rahmadhani (Airlangga Nursing Journalist)
