Investigating infection control behavior in nurses: Impact of computer charting

In a small mixed methods study, nursing behaviors related to infection control were evaluated as nurses participated in a video recorded patient care simulation. The scenario asked the nurse to care for a patient in both airborne and contact isolation precautions with small high definition cameras mounted in a real hospital room. The patient was simulated by a live actor with an artificial intravenous line. The simulation scenario asked the nurse to assess their patient and give them some pain medication. The simulation experience was followed by a Think Aloud session while participants watched their individual simulation performance. The session was audio recorded and then transcribed for qualitative analysis. In this facility computers are taken into the patient rooms on carts to support patient care processes like medication administration and clinical charting. It is expected that these carts be used to care for patients in isolation rooms. Nurses are responsible for wiping computer equipment down before and after use with antimicrobial wipes. Several patterns emerged regarding the use of computers in the care of isolation patients. Both personal safety for the nurse as well as the transmission of infectious diseases from patient to patient became major themes. Nursing behaviors noted in the video recordings and insights from the nurses in the Think Aloud sessions will be shared in this presentation.