Three major issues in infection control

Delivering an infection control link nurse programme: an exploration of the experiences of the link nurses

This is the third in a series of articles describing a research study that examined the efficacy of an infection control link nurse programme, which had an educational programme based upon adult learning theory, delivered using an action research approach. This article describes the results of a qualitative study that explored the experiences of the link nurses who participated in the programme. Implications for practice are discussed.

Delivering an infection control link nurse programme: implementation and evaluation of a flexible teaching approach

Infection control nurses work to ensure practice is evidence-based, thereby minimising infection risks. There is, however, a gap between theory and practice in infection control at clinical level. Link nurse groups have been used in an attempt to ensure practice is evidence-based.

This article describes a research study that examined the efficacy of an infection control link nurse programme, which had an educational programme based upon adult learning theory, delivered using an action-research approach. Results of the study are described in subsequent articles.

Perceptions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and hand hygiene provider training and patient education: results of a mixed method study of health care providers in Department of Veterans Affairs spinal cord injury and disorder units

BACKGROUND

The goal of this study was to assess current practices for training of spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D) health care workers and education of veterans with SCI/D in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spinal cord injury (SCI) centers on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevention.

METHODS

Mixed methods. A Web-based survey was distributed to 673 VA SCI/D providers across 24 SCI centers; 21 acute care and 1 long-term care facility participated. There were 295 that responded, 228 had complete data and were included in this analysis. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 SCI/D providers across 9 SCI centers.

RESULTS

Nurses, physicians, and therapists represent most respondents (92.1%, n = 210); over half (56.6%, n = 129) were nurses. Of providers, 75.9% (n = 173) reported receiving excellent or good training on how to educate patients about MRSA. However, nurses were more likely to report having excellent or good training for how to educate patients about MRSA (P = .005). Despite this, only 63.6% (n = 82) of nurses perceived the education they provide patients on how MRSA is transmitted as excellent or good.

CONCLUSION

Despite health care workers reporting receiving excellent or good training on MRSA-related topics, this did not translate to excellent or good education for patients, suggesting that health care workers need additional training for educating patients. Population-specific MRSA prevention educational materials may also assist providers in educating patients about MRSA prevention for individuals with SCI/D.

Determining the status quo of infection prevention and control standards in the hospitals of iran: a case study in 23 hospitals

BACKGROUND

Applying Prevention and Control of Infection (PCI) standards in hospitals reduces probable risks to patients, staff and visitors; it also increases efficiency, and ultimately improves productivity of hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to determine the status quo of international standards of PCI in hospitals located in the north of Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 23 hospitals. Data collection tool was a questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability. . In this regard, 260 managers, section supervisors and infection control nurses participated in the study according to census basis. SPSS software version 16 was employed to analyze the data through descriptive and analytical statistics.

RESULTS

Among the studied hospitals, 18 hospitals were public. Hospitals enjoyed 77.2% of leadership and programming, 80.8% of focus of programs, 67.4% of isolating methods, 88.2% of hand health and protection techniques, 78.8% of improving patient's safety and quality, 90.3% of training personnel, and 78.7% of the average status quo of PCI standards.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that PCI standards were significantly observed in the studied hospitals and that there were necessary conditions for full deployment of nosocomial infection surveillance.

Occupational Therapists' Knowledge and Practice of Infection Control Procedures: A Preliminary Study

Occupational therapists often meet clients with infections in the course of their work, but research into such therapists' knowledge and practice of infection control procedures is limited. This small postal survey explored the deficit, gathering data from 63/93 (68%) occupational therapists working in 12 randomly selected English health care trusts. The results showed evidence of a discrepancy between respondents' knowledge and practice of infection control procedures. The respondents acknowledged the importance of infection control but did not always take the necessary precautions, reporting some difficulty in judging the latter. The reasons for the study findings and their potential implications for occupational therapy practice, research and education are considered.

The role of the infection control link nurse

Link nurses act as a link between their own clinical area and the infection control team. Their role is to increase awareness of infection control issues in their ward and motivate staff to improve practice. It is essential that they receive training from the infection control team to ensure their competence. They have been shown to be of value to Trusts by improving clinical ward audit scores, helping infection control nurses implement policies and collecting data on hospital-acquired infections. In some hospitals, however, there are operational difficulties for link nurse schemes including high turnover of staff and insufficient time for training and monitoring their effectiveness.