MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INFECTION CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION AS A KEY ELEMENT IN THE PREVENTION OF HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

Abstract

Introduction. Ensuring infection safety in healthcare facilities is a critically important task, especially during wartime, when healthcare systems experience additional pressure and the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) significantly increases. Military actions lead to resource shortages, disrupted logistics, and changes in routine care protocols, necessitating the adaptation of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Effective implementation of IPC interventions under such conditions is possible only with adequate training of medical personnel, particularly mid–level staff such as nurses, who are directly involved in most care and control procedures. A standardized approach to assessing knowledge and practices in the field of HAI prevention becomes especially important.

The aim of the study – to identify the theoretical foundations of infection control and assess the level of knowledge and practical skills of nurses in the field of infection prevention using standardized assessment tools recommended by WHO.

The main part. A survey was conducted among 112 nurses using two standardized WHO instruments: the «IPC Assessment Framework at the Facility Level» and the «Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire for Healthcare Workers.» The study evaluated the participants’ knowledge, skills, work experience, and level of involvement in the implementation of infection control systems. The overall IPC implementation score was 564.5±12.5, corresponding to an intermediate level. The highest scores were recorded for the components “Guidelines” and “IPC Program”, while the lowest were observed for “HAI Surveillance” and “Education and Training.” According to the hand hygiene questionnaire results, the average knowledge level was 76.8 %.

Conclusions. The findings highlight the need for regular staff training, improvement of infection surveillance systems, and strengthening of the educational component related to healthcare–associated infection monitoring. These aspects are essential to consider when developing response plans in crisis settings.