Infection preventionists’ challenges in psychiatric clinical settings

Infection preventionists (IPs) play an important role in preventing health care–associated infections in a health care system. However, the limitations of the clinical setting and the unique characteristics of psychiatric patients could be barriers to effective infection prevention. The purpose of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of infection control 2019-02, Vol.47 (2), p.123-127
Main Authors: Li, Pei-Hsuan, Wang, Shou-Yu, Tan, Jung-Ying, Lee, Li-Hung, Yang, Cheng-I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Communicable Disease Control - methods
Communicable Disease Control - organization & administration
Cross Infection - prevention & control
Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control
Experiences
Female
Hospitals, Psychiatric
Humans
Infection preventionists (IPs)
Interviews as Topic
Middle Aged
Psychiatric ward
Qualitative research
Taiwan
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Summary:Infection preventionists (IPs) play an important role in preventing health care–associated infections in a health care system. However, the limitations of the clinical setting and the unique characteristics of psychiatric patients could be barriers to effective infection prevention. The purpose of this study was to understand how IPs perceived their challenges and how these challenges negatively affect their infection prevention work in psychiatric clinical settings. A descriptive, qualitative research approach was used in this study. Thirteen Taiwanese psychiatric IPs were interviewed in semistructured interviews. Data were transcribed and then analyzed by thematic analysis. This analysis identified 6 themes: (1) lack of preservice training in psychiatric infection control, (2) insufficient staffing in practice, (3) working within environmental limits, (4) patient noncompliance, (5) undervaluation of the importance of infection control by professionals, and (6) involvement of hospital administrators. The implementation of effective infection prevention in psychiatric clinical settings may be strongly related to the factors of sufficient training and IP staffing while relying on collaboration among patients and clinical professionals and on the full support of administrators.
ISSN:0196-6553
1527-3296
DOI:10.1016/j.ajic.2018.08.010