Purpose: This study aimed to understand the in-depth experiences of infection control liaison staff (ICLS) in hospitals.
Methods: This qualitative study applied Colaizzi’s phenomenological research method and targeted 12 healthcare workers in various occupations with experience as ICLS in the departments of a general tertiary hospital in Seoul and a general hospital in Gyeonggi-do. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews from February 21, 2022, to April 30, 2022, and data analysis was conducted in a circular structure based on Colaizzi’s phenomenological research method.
Results: A total of 32 themes and 14 theme clusters were derived from 132 meaningful statements, resulting in six categories. The six categories are “A prepared mind to infection control”, “The initial burden weighing on one’s shoulders”, “Facing difficulties due to inadequate work support”, “Overcoming with cooperation and rewarding”, “The transformed patient and work environment in my journey of personal growth”, and “Finding support measures for ICLS”.
Conclusion: The results of this study are, expected to help understand the meaning and value of ICLS in medical institution departments. Based on this, it will be possible to contribute to preparing primary interventions for education and capacity development, support measures, and system improvement for infection control personnel in medical institution departments.