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Infection Prevention

Infection prevention and control: critical strategies for nursing practice

19 September 2024
Focus
02 September 2024
Volume 33 · Issue 17

Abstract

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is essential in nursing practice to safeguard patient health and reduce healthcare-associated infections. This article explores IPC strategies, including hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment, environmental cleaning, safe injection practices, and antimicrobial stewardship. It discusses the implementation challenges and solutions, such as ensuring compliance through education, monitoring and strong leadership. IPC measures are crucial in preventing infections such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. By integrating personalised IPC strategies into nursing practice, healthcare providers can significantly improve infection control outcomes and enhance overall patient safety and quality of care.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) plays a crucial role in safeguarding patient health and mitigating the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) – and it is fundamental to nursing practice. Such infections, acquired during the course of receiving treatment for other conditions within a healthcare setting, impose a significant burden on healthcare systems, leading to severe complications, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs (Loveday et al, 2014; Stewart et al, 2021)).

Effective IPC practices are essential to mitigate the risk of HAIs and improve patient outcomes. These practices include regular hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), environmental cleaning and disinfection, and adherence to protocols for invasive procedures. The importance of a collaborative approach to IPC across disciplines, to ensure comprehensive and consistent implementation of infection control practices, has also been emphasised (Hallam, 2021). This article explores key IPC strategies, highlighting their importance in nursing practice and offering practical guidance for implementation.

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Infection prevention
Healthcare-associated infections
Nursing practice
Antimicrobial stewardship
Patient safety