Exploring the Role of Nursing Care Interventions in the Prevention of Non-device-associated Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Healthcare-associated infections remain a major patient safety threat, yet prevention efforts to date mainly focus on device-associated infections, neglecting the burden of non-device-associated HAIs (NDA-HAIs). Nursing care interventions are considered to impact NDA-HAI prevention, yet evidence on their effect remains uncertain. This research examines the evidence linking fundamental nursing care interventions to the prevention of NDA HAI to better understand the role of nursing practice in preventing NDA-HAI.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted, following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, exploring evidence linking fundamental nursing care interventions to prevention of NDA-HAIs. Eligible studies involved adult patients in inpatient settings, NDA-HAIs and related nursing care components.

Results: 159 studies were identified within this review. Findings revealed limited high-quality evidence on nursing care interventions and NDA-HAIs. The highest proportion of studies focused on the prevention of healthcare associated pneumonia with limited evidence on the role of nutrition and gastrointestinal diseases. Oral care was the most evidenced intervention in quantity of evidence available. Hydration had the most evidence across all NDA-HAI assessed. The combined impact of fundamental nursing care interventions on NDA-HAI was limited. This suggests a need for more focused research on the effect of nursing care interventions in the prevention of NDA-HAI.

Conclusion: Nursing care interventions may play a key role in IPC, however there is a need for an improved evidence base for practice, particularly in preventing NDA-HAI.

Keywords: healthcare associated infections; infection, prevention and control; nursing care.