2010 Volume 25 Issue 6 Pages 344-350
The Infection Control Team (ICT) has been regularly performing rounds to identify improvements of the environment in our hospital since 2008. Assessment sheets were developed and a logical approach to the ICT round was established by focusing on individual evaluations. ICT rounds repeated at six-month intervals achieved improvements in the hospital environment. The next step considered the dependence of the method on the ICT members. Therefore, the ICT member-led round was changed to the link nurse-led round in every ward to maintain high motivations and the favorable environment. In addition to the original assessment sheets, new assessment check sheets included self-evaluation by the link nurses. Furthermore, to define the points requiring improvement, unfavorable results of the evaluation were evaluated as scores to compare the effects of both types of rounds. Consequently, improvement of the environment was continuously observed after the new rounds, but evaluations showed some differences between wards. In contrast to the one-way evaluation provided by the ICT, self- and mutual evaluation by the link nurses on the wards enabled us to achieve closer supervision of daily work, to clarify insufficient management, and to continuously establish uniform infection control in daily care.