THE ROLE OF NURSING IN INFECTION PREVENTION IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS
This study analyzes the role of nursing in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in intensive care units, in light of recent publications and official technical documents. This is a literature review with a qualitative approach and bibliographic nature, based on scientific articles published between 2021 and 2025, as well as documents from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA). Studies addressing HAI surveillance, hand hygiene, adherence to infection prevention bundles, quality indicators, and nursing practices in critical care settings were selected. The findings show that the ICU combines factors that favor the occurrence of infections, such as the use of invasive devices, clinical severity, prolonged length of stay, and high procedure density. The analyzed studies converge in demonstrating that nursing plays a central role in prevention, both due to its continuous presence with the patient and its ability to organize care, supervise practices, identify risks, and sustain improvement processes. Among the measures with the strongest support in the literature are hand hygiene, the adoption of bundles for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia and primary bloodstream infections, continuing education, process auditing, and the use of indicators for monitoring. It was also observed that adherence to preventive measures is influenced by structural, cultural, and organizational factors, such as workload, team communication, leadership, training, and availability of supplies. Furthermore, recent literature highlights that antimicrobial resistance, a safety culture, and adequate nursing staff levels are fundamental elements for reducing HAIs and strengthening the quality of care in critical care units. It is concluded that the prevention of HAIs in intensive care depends on the integration of scientific knowledge, surveillance, care protocols, and nursing leadership, with the strengthening of safety culture, standardization of procedures, and continuous evaluation of clinical practice being indispensable.
THE ROLE OF NURSING IN INFECTION PREVENTION IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.01596626110511
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Palavras-chave: ICU. Hospital-acquired infection. Nursing. Patient safety. Hand hygiene.
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Keywords: ICU. Hospital-acquired infection. Nursing. Patient safety. Hand hygiene.
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Abstract:
This study analyzes the role of nursing in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in intensive care units, in light of recent publications and official technical documents. This is a literature review with a qualitative approach and bibliographic nature, based on scientific articles published between 2021 and 2025, as well as documents from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA). Studies addressing HAI surveillance, hand hygiene, adherence to infection prevention bundles, quality indicators, and nursing practices in critical care settings were selected. The findings show that the ICU combines factors that favor the occurrence of infections, such as the use of invasive devices, clinical severity, prolonged length of stay, and high procedure density. The analyzed studies converge in demonstrating that nursing plays a central role in prevention, both due to its continuous presence with the patient and its ability to organize care, supervise practices, identify risks, and sustain improvement processes. Among the measures with the strongest support in the literature are hand hygiene, the adoption of bundles for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia and primary bloodstream infections, continuing education, process auditing, and the use of indicators for monitoring. It was also observed that adherence to preventive measures is influenced by structural, cultural, and organizational factors, such as workload, team communication, leadership, training, and availability of supplies. Furthermore, recent literature highlights that antimicrobial resistance, a safety culture, and adequate nursing staff levels are fundamental elements for reducing HAIs and strengthening the quality of care in critical care units. It is concluded that the prevention of HAIs in intensive care depends on the integration of scientific knowledge, surveillance, care protocols, and nursing leadership, with the strengthening of safety culture, standardization of procedures, and continuous evaluation of clinical practice being indispensable.
- Brayan Filipe Farias Silva
