Purpose: This study interprets how infection control nurses (ICNs) experienced and understood administrative support during infection-prevention activities, and to clarify how this support influenced their practice, well-being, and professional identity in post-pandemic clinical settings. Methods: This qualitative study used interpretative phenomenological analysis. Through purposive and snowball sampling, six ICNs from tertiary and general hospitals in Korea, each with at least 3 years of ICN experience and direct involvement in the COVID-19 response, participated in two semi-structured, in-depth interviews between August 20 and September 3, 2025. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed first idiographically, then across cases, following Smith’s procedures. Reflexive notes and an audit trail ensured analytic rigor. Results: Analysis identified six interrelated themes, expressed in participants’ terms and specific work contexts. First, the realities and challenges of infection-prevention practice reflected ongoing workload pressure, delayed outcome visibility, and crisis-driven surges that caused moral strain. Second, meanings and experiences of managerial support indicated that support was genuine when leaders listened, made prompt decisions, and backed ICN judgments; its absence led to isolation and role fatigue. Third, the operation of resources and institutional arrangements showed that staffing, budgets, equipment, and clear decision pathways either enabled or limited timely, consistent action. Fourth, organizational culture and interprofessional barriers revealed that hierarchical norms, siloed routines, and skepticism hindered cooperation, while open, learning-oriented environments supported the adoption of precautions. Fifth, emotional turbulence and professional identity highlighted tensions between enforcement and caregiving roles, which undermined self-efficacy; recognition and small practice successes restored pride in the specialized role. Finally, conditions for recovery and change emphasized that practical support and formal acknowledgment-along with after-action reviews, protocol updates, cross-disciplinary drills, and aligned incentives-helped transform individual learning into resilient, sustainable organizational capability. Conclusion: For ICNs, administrative support extends beyond resources by providing authority, psychological safety, and feasibility for infection-prevention efforts. To maintain prevention measures beyond crises, hospitals should ensure governance structures, rapid decision-making channels, stable staffing and budgets, and regular debriefings with protocol updates. Connecting infection-control performance to recognition and professional development may reduce burnout, strengthen professional identity, and enhance patient safety.

서 론
    1. 연구의 필요성
    2. 연구목적
연 구 방 법
    1. 연구설계
    2. 연구자의 준비
    3. 연구참여자
    4. 자료수집
    5. 윤리적 고려
    6. 자료분석
    7. 연구의 엄격성
연 구 결 과
    1. 감염예방 실천의 현실과 도전
    2. 관리자 지원의 의미와 경험
    3. 자원과 제도의 작동 방식
    4. 조직문화와 다직종 협업의 장벽
    5. 감정과 정체성의 흔들림
    6. 회복과 변화의 조건
논 의
결 론 및 제 언
REFERENCES

• 허연정(한림성심대학교 간호학부, 간호학연구소 조교수) | Heo Yeon Jeong (Assistant Professor, College of Nursing ․ Research Institute of Nursing Science, Hallym Polytechnic University, Chuncheon, Korea 2Nurse, National Police Hospital, Seoul, Korea)
• 최형준(국립경찰병원 간호사) | Choi Hyung Jun (Nurse, National Police Hospital, Seoul, Korea) Corresponding author
• 김승주(한림성심대학교 간호학부, 간호학연구소 부교수) | Kim Seung Ju (Associate Professor, College of Nursing ․ Research Institute of Nursing Science, Hallym Polytechnic University, Chuncheon, Korea) Corresponding author
• 현혜진(강원대학교 간호대학 교수) | Hyun Hyejin (Professor, College of Nursing, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea)