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Healthcare-associated infections are a significant reason for readmission to hospital post-discharge to the community. In this paper, the authors describe some of the key findings from a programme of work conducted in a home care agency (community care organisation) in the US. A survey was conducted to explore home care nurses' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs around infection control (n=415); 400 nurse-patient visits were observed, and 50 nurses were interviewed about their infection control practices. Nurses reported high compliance with infection control practices. However, the overall average adherence rate to observed hand hygiene practices was 45.6%. Interview data provided valuable insights into specific challenges faced by nurses in a home care setting. This study provides insights that can be used to enhance infection control practice in community care in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and nurse staffing are associated using unit-level staffing data. BACKGROUND: Previous studies of the association between HAIs and nurse staffing are inconsistent and limited by methodological weaknesses. METHODS: Cross-sectional data between 2007 and 2012 from a large urban hospital system were analyzed. HAIs were diagnosed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network definitions. We used Cox proportional-hazards regression model to examine the association of nurse staffing (2 days before HAI onset) with HAIs after adjusting for individual risks. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of patient-days had 1 shift understaffed, defined as staffing below 80% of the unit median for a shift, and 6.2% had both day and night shifts understaffed. Patients on units with both shifts understaffed were significantly more likely to develop HAIs 2 days later. CONCLUSIONS: Understaffing is associated with increased risk of HAIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]