Facilitating factors in the prevention and control of nosocomialinfections in the intensive care units: A qualitative study

Nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are a major problem in ICUs and one of the major causes of hospitalization, medical costs, and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the facilitating factors in the prevention and control of nosocomial infections in the intensive care unit. The present study was a qualitative research with conventional content analysis approach. Twenty-one healthcare workers were selected by purposive sampling method and a deep and semi-structured interview was conducted with them. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. Data analysis revealed the main theme of facilitating factors, which included three categories of external, internal and organizational stimuli. According to the findings, it is necessary to identify facilitators to make nosocomial infections better diagnosed and provide appropriate and effective planning to improve the safety and quality of patient care.