Factors Associated with Infection Control Competency Among Infection Control Nurses and Physicians in Long-Term Care Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The number of long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) in Korea has been increasing. Because LTCHs primarily care for older adults who are vulnerable to infection, strict infection control (IC) practices are essential. This study aimed to assess the IC core competency of infection control nurses (ICNs) and IC physicians in LTCHs and to identify the individual and organizational factors associated with IC core competency. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 348 participants (273 ICNs and 75 IC physicians) working in LTCHs across Korea in December 2022. Data were analyzed to assess levels of IC core competency, IC knowledge, and organizational support for patient safety. Results: The overall scores for IC core competency, IC knowledge, and organizational support for patient safety were 3.2 ± 0.7, 3.3 ± 0.7, and 3.4 ± 0.7 (out of 5), respectively. For ICNs, factors associated with IC core competency included IC nurse specialist certification, pre-employment IC training, attendance at IC-related academic conferences or training courses, IC knowledge, and organizational support for patient safety. For IC physicians, attending IC-related academic conferences or training courses, IC knowledge, and organizational support for patient safety were identified as significant factors associated with competency levels. Conclusions: This study found that IC knowledge, IC core competency, and organizational support for patient safety were insufficient among ICNs and IC physicians in LTCHs. IC Knowledge was the factor most strongly associated with IC core competency, and organizational support for patient safety also emerged as an important associated factor.