Infection Control Nurse: a national survey.
OBJECTIVE
To study presence and activity of Infection Control Nurses (ICN) in Italian National Health System (NHS) hospitals.


BACKGROUND
Infection Control Nurses play an essential and evidence-based role for optimal infrastructure and essential activities of infection control and epidemiology programmes in hospitals.


METHODS
A survey of all Italian NHS hospitals (N = 529). Hospital health directors were asked to complete a questionnaire with a specific section on ICN presence, activities and roles played. Response rate was 87.5% (463 of 529).


RESULTS
More than 50% of hospitals (250 of 463) have an ICN: 25% (116 of 463) have at least one part-time employed ICN and 23.3% (108 of 250) have at least one ICN employed full-time. Infection Control Nurses are more common in hospitals with >250 beds (P < 0.01). Infection Control Nurses working in hospitals with >250 beds are highly active in surveillance activities, personnel education and management of study groups (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In Italian NHS hospitals ICNs have yet to become pillar figures in hospital infection control.
Quattrin
R
R
DPMSC School of Medicine, University of Udine, Via Colugna 50, 33100 Udine, Italy. r.quattrin@med.uniud.it
Pecile
A
A
Conzut
L
L
Majori
S
S
Brusaferro
S
S
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006302:Health Services Research; D006740:Hospital Administrators; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006801:Humans; D016357:Infection Control Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D007558:Italy; D009313:National Health Programs; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010343:Patient Admission; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires