Opportunities for nurse involvement in surgical antimicrobial stewardship strategies: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Multi-disciplinary antimicrobial stewardship teams are a common strategy employed to optimise antimicrobial prescribing. Nurses play a pivotal role in patient care and safety; however, their role and potential opportunities across surgical antimicrobial stewardship are not well-established. This study aims to highlight health professional perspectives of the nurse's role and relevant opportunities for nurses to engage in and lead surgical antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. Methods: An exploratory, multi-site, collective qualitative case study. Transcribed audio-recordings of focus groups with health professionals underwent thematic analysis, with mapping to established framew..