Abstract: Infection prevention and control (IPC) programs were first introduced into some Australian hospitals during the 1960s–70s, in response to rising hospital-acquired infection and antibiotic resistance rates. There is little published information about their origins. This paper aims to address this by describing the findings of a qualitative study, comprising interviews with twenty-three purposively sampled healthcare professionals who were involved in IPC-related roles during the 1960s–90s. Findings were supplemented by selected publications, and themes identified using reflexive thematic analysis. Most early infection control professionals (ICPs) were experienced senior nurses, appointed and/or supported by medical microbiologists. During the 1980s, when hospital accreditation required hospitals to appoint an ICP, administrators often hired inexperienced nurses. Their roles were poorly defined, and they relied on informal networks for support. The trajectory of routine hospital IPC in Australia has been reactive and complicated by interprofessional tensions and competing models of care.
Gwendolyn L. Gilbert (Wed,) studied this question.