In this episode, Drs Hessels and Larson describe how a positive patient safety climate contributes to improved adherence to infection prevention and control practices. This study produced findings not previously published thus advancing the state of the science in patient and occupational health and safety and infection prevention and control. These include identifying modifiable features of the safety climate and key organizational characteristics associated with better outcomes.

Guest: Amanda Hessels PhD RN CIC, Elaine Larson PhD RN CIC

Publication Title: Impact of Patient Safety Climate on Infection Prevention Practices and Healthcare Worker and Patient Outcomes

Authors:

Amanda J Hessels, PhD, MPH, RN, CIC, CPHQ, FAPIC
Jingwen Guo, MS
Cara Turman Johnson, RN, MPH
Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN, CIC

Amanda Hessels, PhD, MPH, RN, CIC, CPHQ, FAPIC

Amanda Hessels is an Assistant Professor at Columbia University, School of Nursing and a Nurse Scientist at Hackensack Meridian Health. With an exceptional nursing career spanning 25 years, Dr. Hessels is respected as a researcher, educator, and clinician. By bridging academia and the healthcare setting, she is distinctly capable of identifying and addressing real-world problems and through leadership, innovation, and action, she is creating a legacy that includes both scientific acumen and sensitivity to clinical operations and practice. The signature of her substantive sustained and lasting impact on nursing and health is a body of research at the intersection of patient safety and occupational health. By describing and quantifying the role of human factors, organizational and clinical practice predictors of healthcare associated infections and occupational health injuries her work has led to practice and policy change regionally, nationally, and internationally. Advancing these scientific breakthroughs and with current federal funding she is developing interventions to improve adherence to infection prevention practices. Dr. Hessels’ scholarly contributions are vast and include numerous Editorial Board positions nationally and internationally, leadership roles in national organizations, such as the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and selected invitations and appointments to national scientific panels and committees. Dr. Hessels earned her BSN degree from the University of Rochester, MSN and MPH degrees from the City University of New York, Hunter College, and PhD degree in nursing from Rutgers University, College of Nursing. She completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Columbia University, School of Nursing.

Elaine Larson, PhD, FAAN, RN, CIC

Elaine Larson is Professor Emerita, School of Nursing and Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, and Senior Scholar in Residence, New York Academy of Medicine.  She is a Fellow in the National Academy of Medicine, Society for Healthcare Epidemiologists of America, Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, American Academy of Nursing, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. She was Editor of the American Journal of Infection Control for 25 years, has published more than 450 journal articles, four book,s and a number of book chapters.  Elaine is currently the President of the Certification Board for Infection Control and chairs institutional review boards for Columbia University and the New York Academy of Medicine.