Nurses's activity in the control of health care-related infections: literature review

Abstract

In recent decades, the incidence of Health Care Related Infections (HAIs) has been growing worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) recently recognizing these infections as a worldwide concern because of their negative impact on intra-mortality rates and the cost of health care, affecting both developed and developing countries. Increasing IRAS rates require measures to combat the problem, from more sophisticated treatments to admittedly simple, efficient practices such as hand hygiene. Specific actions to educate health professionals are necessary; however, focused groups appear as educational opportunities to reflect on the work process, aiming interventions to improve and decrease the rate of infections. Despite being a topic widely discussed in the literature and in the practice of care, there are still high levels of incidence and prevalence of infections by multiresistant bacteria, with direct repercussions on care and quality. The present study aimed at a theoretical approach, through bibliographical researches, to evaluate the importance of nurses' performance and nursing interventions in a preventive way, minimizing IRAS. This is a descriptive study, based on bibliographical surveys, carried out by periodicals, monographs and theses in the Duse Rüegger Ometto Library of the University Center of the Herminio Ometto / FHO Foundation and in electronic databases - Medline; Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences(Lilacs) and Nursing Database (BDEnf). Health professionals, especially nurses, are extremely important in the face of the challenge of IRAS, and should become the articulators and motivators of the knowledge and practices related to infection control.