Infection control link nurse programs in Dutch acute care hospitals; a mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Infection control link nurse programs exhibit substantial variability in their structure and execution.
• Understanding the organization, progression, and influencing contextual factors of these programs is crucial for optimizing their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the organization and progression of Dutch infection control link nurse programs.
• To identify contextual factors influencing the execution of these programs.
• To assess the perceived effectiveness of different program components.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining surveys and semi-structured interviews.
• Data collection utilized items from the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist.
• Participants included infection control practitioners from 72 Dutch hospitals.

Main Results:

• Link nurse programs were present in 67% of surveyed hospitals, primarily managed by infection prevention and control teams.
• Education was the core component (90%) of most programs.
• Programs incorporating both infection prevention education and implementation skills training were deemed more effective than those lacking these elements.

Conclusions:

• Infection control link nurse programs demonstrate considerable variation in content and design.
• Programs with well-defined educational content are considered more successful by implementing infection control practitioners.