Preparing nurses for COVID-19 response efforts through involvement in antimicrobial stewardship programmes

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread internationally with 5,593,631 cases reported globally including 353,334 deaths. Its rapid emergence and dissemination have highlighted multiple areas in which competencies in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) (the safe and effective use of antimicrobials), specifically by nurses, can support response efforts. There have been calls for nurses to be recognized as legitimate contributors to AMS team efforts. Unfortunately, nurses' roles in these efforts have received minimal mention in international and national policies. It is reported that nurses' knowledge of antibiotics is poor, and that AMS taught in nurse undergraduate programmes is disparate or lacking. To address this gap, AMS consensus-based international competency statements have been developed, focused on six domains (infection prevention and control, antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance, the diagnosis of infection and use of antibiotics, antimicrobial prescribing practice, person-centred care, interprofessional collaborative practice), which are (seen as) priorities/minimum requirements for nurses.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.06.011

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https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/d93fa97e-e4a9-4934-a8d9-0e23606d9ed4