Professional and Regulatory Infection Control Guidelines: Collaboration to Promote Patient Safety

Professional organizations and regulatory agencies collaborate on infection prevention and control guidelines to support preventing and controlling infection in the surgical setting. More specifically, regulatory and accrediting agencies, professional associations, and advisory committees create and promote the use of evidence-based recommendations for preventing surgical site infections. Many agencies perform accreditation surveys to ensure compliance with these standards and guidelines. Perioperative personnel can use these resources to implement and sustain essential processes for infection prevention and control and to facilitate staff member compliance with standards, regulations, and best practices. To guide perioperative practice, it is important for nurses to understand the role of these agencies and organizations and the resources each offers to help ensure the best patient outcomes.