HOSPICE INFECTION CONTROL LINK NURSE ROLES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

INTRODUCTION

The link nurse (LN) has a duty to help create and maintain an environment which
will ensure the safety of the patient and their visitors, and health care workers. This
duty is fulfilled using infection control knowledge, communication skills, nursing and
teaching skills and attitudes appropriate to each situation.

1. General Role

 To act as a resource in their clinical area and to liaise with the

appropriate infection control team
 To increase awareness of infection control issues in their hospice
 To act as a role model and motivate staff to improve practice
 They will act with the support of the infection control team with which
they have a recognised affiliation (referred to as the relevant infection
control team)
 They must ensure that their work is reviewed on a regular basis (at
least annually) by the hospice management team who should seek
specialist infection control where appropriate
 They must be keen, enthusiastic and motivated and ideally a volunteer
 It is essential that they are based in a clinical setting and directly
involved with patient care; this places them in a position to observe
and influence colleagues practice
 The LN should agree to act as an ‘opinion leader’

2. Skills
 LN must have or develop good teaching and presentation skills
 They must adopt a enthusiastic approach in order to encourage all
staff to practice up to date, research-based skills

3. Responsibilities

 To liaise between their hospice and their identified Infection control

Team
 To liaise with other hospice link nurses on a regular basis to share best
practice and identify common problems
 To audit staff compliance with infection control policies and procedures
in their clinical hospice
 The LN act as a change agent, providing support for staff in complying
with infection control policies and best practices

HOSPICE INFECTION CONTROL LINK NURSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

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  They should act as a resource person for staff concerning infection
control related problems in the clinical area (e.g. practices, isolation
etc.)
 To provide education in their hospice regarding the principles of
infection control and relevant updates on key topics (e.g. MRSA,
Clostridium difficile, hand hygiene etc.)
 To carry out or facilitate hand hygiene training on a regular (at least
annual basis) for all staff
 The LN must be reflective and understand the limits of their knowledge
and expertise; where they are unsure they must discuss clinical issues
with the relevant infection control team for guidance
 All advice must be clearly documented in the patients’ notes.
 To be knowledgeable regarding the purchase/introduction and use of
equipment in their hospice in relation to:
(a) Infection Control hazards;
(b) Care and maintenance;
(c) Decontamination and storage.

4. Professional Responsibilities

 To meet regularly (at least twice yearly) with an infection control team
from the relevant infection control team in order to:
 Keep informed of relevant programmes of work
 Clinical updates
 Keep informed of the strategies of the wider health economy
 These meetings must be documented and an overview of issues
discussed minuted.
 They must receive infection control training on an annual basis to
demonstrate their competence in this role
 They must take every opportunity to update and extend his or her
knowledge of infection control

5. Prep/PDP

 A certificate of attendance will be provided for each training session

delivered
 Each Infection control LN will be expected to include Infection control
within their personal development plan.

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