Infection control link nurse programs in Dutch acute care hospitals; a mixed-methods study.
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Dekker M; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, room PK1X132, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.vanoijen@amsterdamumc.nl.; van Mansfeld R; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, room PK1X132, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Vandenbroucke-Grauls C; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, room PK1X132, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; de Bruijne M; Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Jongerden I; Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Source
- Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101585411 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2047-2994 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20472994 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Antimicrob Resist Infect Control Subsets: MEDLINE
- Subject
- Language
- English
Background: Infection control link nurse programs show considerable variation. We report how Dutch link nurse programs are organized, how they progress, and how contextual factors may play a role in the execution of these programs.
Methods: This mixed-methods study combined a survey and semi-structured interviews with infection control practitioners, based on items of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist.
Results: The Netherlands has 74 hospitals; 72 infection control practitioners from 72 different hospitals participated in the survey. Four of these infection control practitioners participated in interviews. A link nurse program was present in 67% of the hospitals; responsibility for 76% of these programs lied solely with the infection prevention and control team. The core component of most programs (90%) was education. Programs that included education on infection prevention topics and training in implementation skills were perceived as more effective than programs without such education or programs where education included only infection prevention topics. The interviews illustrated that these programs were initiated by the infection prevention team with the intention to collaborate with other departments to improve practice. Content for these programs was created at the time of their implementation. Infection control practitioners varied in their ability to express program goals and to engage experts and key stakeholders.
Conclusions: Infection control link nurse programs vary in content and in set up. Programs with a clear educational content are viewed as more successful by the infection control practitioners that implement these programs.