Curryer, C., Russo, P.L., Kiernan, Martin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9926-7781 and Mitchell, B.G. (2021) Environmental hygiene, knowledge and cleaning practice: a phenomenological study of nurses and midwives during COVID-19. American Journal of Infection Control, 49 (9). pp. 1123-1128.

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Abstract

Background
Environmental cleanliness is a fundamental tenet in nursing and midwifery but often overshadowed in practice. This study explored nurses’ and midwives’ knowledge and experiences of infection prevention and control (IPC) processes and cleaning, and perceptions about workplace risk-management during COVID-19.

Methods
Six registered and enrolled nurses (one with dual midwife qualifications) were recruited. In-depth telephone interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method.

Results
Four major themes were identified: Striving towards environmental cleanliness; Knowledge and learning feeds good practice; There's always doubt in the back of your mind; and COVID has cracked it wide open. These articulate the nurses’ and midwives’ experiences and knowledge of IPC, particularly during COVID-19.

Discussion
The findings emphasize the dynamic, interdependent nature of clinical (time, staff knowledge and compliance, work processes, hospital design) and organizational contexts and environmental cleanliness, which must be constantly maintained. COVID-19 opened up critical insights regarding poor past practices and lack of IPC compliance.

Conclusions
COVID-19 has highlighted the criticality of environmental cleanliness within clinical and community settings. Evidence-based, experiential learning is important for nurses and midwives at all career stages, but provides only one solution. Clinician-led hospital design may also reduce the spread of infection; thus, promoting better patient care.

Item Type:	Article
Identifier:	10.1016/j.ajic.2021.04.080
Subjects:	Medicine and health > Health promotion and public health > Infection prevention
Depositing User:	Marc Forster
Date Deposited:	17 Sep 2024 11:25
Last Modified:	17 Sep 2024 11:44
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/12498

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