Managing and leading the infection prevention initiative.
OBJECTIVE
To review the national response to health care-associated infection and that of nurses in particular.


BACKGROUND
Health care-associated infections have emerged as a significant threat to quality care and preventing it is now a national priority.


RESULTS
This paper considers the key government initiatives to address health care-associated infection.


RESULTS
The government has adopted a multifaceted approach to tackle this problem, the most crucial of which was to develop the evidence base to support practice. Now that is established, education and training have become the next priority.


CONCLUSIONS
While health care-associated infection remains a government priority, trusts will find it difficult to meet the demands of the Code of Practice and fulfil other government priorities.


CONCLUSIONS
Managers need to be aware of the extent of the problem, its causes and the initiatives both nationally and locally to address the situation so that they can maintain support for these initiatives.
Pellowe
Carol
C
Richard Wells Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, Thames Valley University, London, UK. carol.pellowe@tvu.ac.uk
D015984:Causality; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012308:Risk Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology