Educational theory into practice: development of an infection control link nurse programme

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Education
• Infection Control

Background:

• Hospital-acquired infections affect 9-10% of patients, causing significant morbidity, mortality, and resource use.
• Effective infection control practices can prevent many of these infections.
• A persistent theory-practice gap hinders compliance with infection control procedures in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of educational theory to infection control link nurse programs.
• To highlight the limitations of traditional nurse education models for link nurses.
• To propose a theory-informed approach for developing effective infection control link nurses.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of educational theory principles relevant to adult learning.
• Analysis of the components of an infection control link nurse program.
• Comparison of traditional versus theory-based educational strategies.

Main Results:

• Traditional educational models may not adequately equip link nurses to bridge the theory-practice gap.
• Applying educational theory can enhance the effectiveness of link nurse programs.
• Infection control link nurses developed through this approach can become clinical opinion leaders.

Conclusions:

• Educational theory provides a framework for optimizing infection control link nurse programs.
• Theory-informed programs can empower link nurses to influence practice and reduce the theory-practice gap.
• This strategy is crucial for improving patient safety and reducing healthcare-associated infections.