Infection Control Nurse: a national survey

AIM: 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.