Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, De Boelelaan 1118, room PK1X132, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2019 Jan 28;8:20. doi: 10.1186/s13756-019-0476-8. eCollection 2019.
Involving link nurses in infection prevention and control is a strategy to improve clinical practice that has been implemented in hospitals worldwide. However, little is known about the use, the range and benefits of this strategy. We aimed to identify key concepts of infection control link nurses (ICLN) and ICLN programs, to evaluate the effect of such programs, and to identify gaps in the evidence base.
In a scoping review, we searched PubMed, CINAHL, Google and Google Scholar for manuscripts on ICLN in acute care hospitals. We included research- and opinion-based papers, abstracts, reports and guidelines.
We included 29 publications and identified three key concepts: the profile of ICLN, strategies to support ICLN, and the implementation of ICLN programs. The majority of included studies delineates the ICLN profile with accompanying roles, tasks and strategies to support ICLN, without a thorough evaluation of the implementation process or effects. Few studies report on the effect of ICLN programs in terms of patient outcomes or guideline adherence, with positive short term effects.
This scoping review reveals a lack of robust evidence on the effectiveness of ICLN programs. Current best practice for an ICLN program includes a clear description of the ICLN profile, education on infection prevention topics as well as training in implementation skills, and support from the management at the ward and hospital level. Future research is needed to evaluate the effects of ICLN on clinical practice and to further develop ICLN programs for maximal impact.
在感染预防和控制中引入联络护士是一项在全球范围内实施的改善临床实践的策略。然而，对于这种策略的使用、范围和益处知之甚少。我们旨在确定感染控制联络护士（ICLN）和 ICLN 计划的关键概念，评估这些计划的效果，并确定证据基础中的差距。
在范围综述中，我们在 PubMed、CINAHL、Google 和 Google Scholar 上搜索了关于急性护理医院 ICLN 的文献。我们纳入了研究和基于观点的论文、摘要、报告和指南。
我们纳入了 29 篇出版物，并确定了三个关键概念：ICLN 的概况、支持 ICLN 的策略以及 ICLN 计划的实施。大多数纳入的研究描述了 ICLN 的概况，包括伴随的角色、任务和支持 ICLN 的策略，而没有对实施过程或效果进行彻底评估。很少有研究报告 ICLN 计划在患者结局或指南依从性方面的效果，只有短期的积极效果。
这项范围综述揭示了缺乏关于 ICLN 计划有效性的有力证据。目前 ICLN 计划的最佳实践包括明确描述 ICLN 的概况、感染预防主题的教育以及实施技能的培训，以及病房和医院层面的管理层的支持。需要进一步的研究来评估 ICLN 对临床实践的影响，并进一步开发 ICLN 计划以实现最大效果。
