A study was undertaken to determine the theoretical principles of infection control and the related practices that were taught to qualified nurses, students, both RGN and Project 2000, and health care assistants. The aim was to understand how they applied this knowledge to practice. It was found that what they were taught was different for each of the four groups and that in the case of the nurse education programmes the teaching lacked application to practice.
The study revealed that an understanding of how infection spread was frequently inaccurate. The ward sister and charge nurse were shown to have a powerful influence on the infection control practices of ward staff. Key issues involve the structure and organisation of nurse education programmes and management practices at ward level.
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