An infection control nurse-advisor program

The nurse epidemiologist and department of nursing in a 100-bed acute-care facility designed, implemented, and evaluated a program with the goal of increasing awareness of prevention and control of infection in nursing practice. The method selected was to have a registered nurse volunteer from each unit to serve as nurse-advisor for a 4-month period. Each nurse-advisor was to serve as a resource for the unit, monitor peer practice, identify weaknesses in nursing practice, educate peers, and identify infection problems. At the end of 2 years, 22 nurses had served as nurse-advisors, with 16 in present employment. All areas of the nursing department had participated in the program. Descriptive analysis of the nurse-advisor program after a 2-year study demonstrated it to be an effective method to increase awareness of prevention and control of infection in nursing practice.