TY - JOUR
T1 - Infection Prevention and Control in Liberia 5 Years After Ebola
T2 - A Case Study
AU - Ridge, Laura Jean
AU - Stimpfel, Amy Witkoski
AU - Klar, Robin Toft
AU - Dickson, Victoria Vaughan
AU - Squires, Allison Patricia
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This publication was supported by grant number, T42OH008422, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. It was also funded in part by Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Grant (T32 NR016914. Program Director: Titler) Complexity: Innovations in Promoting Health and Safety. This study was also funded by the 2018 AAOHN Medique Research Grant.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Robyn d?Avignon for her contributions to this manuscript. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This publication was supported by grant number, T42OH008422, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. It was also funded in part by Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Grant (T32 NR016914. Program Director: Titler) Complexity: Innovations in Promoting Health and Safety. This study was also funded by the 2018 AAOHN Medique Research Grant.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s).
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: Effective management of health emergencies is an important strategy to improve health worldwide. One way to manage health emergencies is to build and sustain national capacities. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2015 resulted in greater infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in Liberia, but few studies have investigated if and how that capacity was sustained. The purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of IPC capacity in Liberia after Ebola. Methods: For this case study, data were collected via direct observation of nurse practice, semistructured interviews, and document collection. Data were collected in two counties in Liberia. Data were analyzed using directed content and general thematic analysis using codes generated from the safety capital theoretical framework, which describes an organization’s intangible occupational health resources. Findings: Thirty-seven nurses from 12 facilities participated. Ebola was a seminal event in the development of safety capital in Liberia, particularly regarding nurse knowledge of IPC and facilities’ investments in safety. The safety capital developed during Ebola is still being applied at the individual and organizational levels. Tangible resources, including personal protective equipment, however, have been depleted. Conclusions/Application to Practice: IPC capacity in Liberia had been sustained since Ebola but was threatened by under-investments in physical resources. Donor countries should prioritize sustained support, both financial and technical, in partnership with Liberian leaders. Occupational health nurses participating in disaster response should advocate for long-term investment by donor countries in personal protective equipment, access to water, and clinician training.
AB - Background: Effective management of health emergencies is an important strategy to improve health worldwide. One way to manage health emergencies is to build and sustain national capacities. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2015 resulted in greater infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in Liberia, but few studies have investigated if and how that capacity was sustained. The purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of IPC capacity in Liberia after Ebola. Methods: For this case study, data were collected via direct observation of nurse practice, semistructured interviews, and document collection. Data were collected in two counties in Liberia. Data were analyzed using directed content and general thematic analysis using codes generated from the safety capital theoretical framework, which describes an organization’s intangible occupational health resources. Findings: Thirty-seven nurses from 12 facilities participated. Ebola was a seminal event in the development of safety capital in Liberia, particularly regarding nurse knowledge of IPC and facilities’ investments in safety. The safety capital developed during Ebola is still being applied at the individual and organizational levels. Tangible resources, including personal protective equipment, however, have been depleted. Conclusions/Application to Practice: IPC capacity in Liberia had been sustained since Ebola but was threatened by under-investments in physical resources. Donor countries should prioritize sustained support, both financial and technical, in partnership with Liberian leaders. Occupational health nurses participating in disaster response should advocate for long-term investment by donor countries in personal protective equipment, access to water, and clinician training.
KW - Ebola virus disease
KW - infection control
KW - Liberia
KW - low-income country
KW - personal protective equipment
KW - safety capital theoretical framework
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U2 - 10.1177/2165079921998076
DO - 10.1177/2165079921998076
M3 - Article
C2 - 33845686
AN - SCOPUS:85104562168
SN - 2165-0799
VL - 69
SP - 242
EP - 251
JO - Workplace Health and Safety
JF - Workplace Health and Safety
IS - 6
ER -