{"title":"Infection prevention behaviour among hospital nursing staff: Navigating in a complex and shifting work environment.","authors":"Lisa Arvidsson, Maria Lindberg, Bernice Skytt","doi":"10.1177/17571774251322449","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthcare-associated infections are a global concern and can be dependent on the infection prevention behaviours of nursing staff, which in turn can be influenced by working conditions. Qualitative studies are scarce, and a greater understanding of the relationship between working conditions and nursing staff behaviour is needed.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The aim was to describe nursing staff's experiences and reflections on working conditions and infection prevention behaviours.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative study with semi-structured focus group interviews at four surgical units and two orthopaedic hospital units. Twenty-seven nursing staff (12 registered nurses and 15 assistant nurses) participated. Data was analysed using qualitative content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We generated one theme: Navigating in a complex and shifting context. The result indicates that working conditions are sometimes inadequate, which can hinder the nursing staff's infection prevention behaviours. Even when working conditions seemed to be sufficient, hygiene routines could fail, since situations constantly arise in a hospital unit that are difficult to predict and regulate.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study highlights the complexities faced by nursing staff in maintaining infection prevention behaviours within the dynamic hospital work environment. While nursing staff are professionally obliged to comply with hygiene routines, organisational support is essential for fostering sustainable working conditions. A multi-tiered approach is needed, from first-line managers to decision-makers, to promote a supportive environment that sustains safe practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774251322449"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11843565/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Infection Prevention","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17571774251322449","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Healthcare-associated infections are a global concern and can be dependent on the infection prevention behaviours of nursing staff, which in turn can be influenced by working conditions. Qualitative studies are scarce, and a greater understanding of the relationship between working conditions and nursing staff behaviour is needed.
Aim: The aim was to describe nursing staff's experiences and reflections on working conditions and infection prevention behaviours.
Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured focus group interviews at four surgical units and two orthopaedic hospital units. Twenty-seven nursing staff (12 registered nurses and 15 assistant nurses) participated. Data was analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: We generated one theme: Navigating in a complex and shifting context. The result indicates that working conditions are sometimes inadequate, which can hinder the nursing staff's infection prevention behaviours. Even when working conditions seemed to be sufficient, hygiene routines could fail, since situations constantly arise in a hospital unit that are difficult to predict and regulate.
Discussion: This study highlights the complexities faced by nursing staff in maintaining infection prevention behaviours within the dynamic hospital work environment. While nursing staff are professionally obliged to comply with hygiene routines, organisational support is essential for fostering sustainable working conditions. A multi-tiered approach is needed, from first-line managers to decision-makers, to promote a supportive environment that sustains safe practices.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Infection Prevention is the professional publication of the Infection Prevention Society. The aim of the journal is to advance the evidence base in infection prevention and control, and to provide a publishing platform for all health professionals interested in this field of practice. Journal of Infection Prevention is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed publication containing a wide range of articles: ·Original primary research studies ·Qualitative and quantitative studies ·Reviews of the evidence on various topics ·Practice development project reports ·Guidelines for practice ·Case studies ·Overviews of infectious diseases and their causative organisms ·Audit and surveillance studies/projects