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Infection Prevention and Control

“Infection prevention and control is the clinical application of microbiology in practice. Infection or disease may be caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses or prions and can result in a wide variety of infections …Understanding how infections occur and how different micro-organisms act and spread is crucial to preventing infections.” (RCN Clinical topic: Infection prevention and control). Use this guide to find information resources related to infection prevention and control including books, reports and journal articles.

Last updated: 20/09/2020

COVID-19

RCN: COVID-19 (coronovirus)

Key Resources

RCN Clinical topic: skin health
Royal College of Nursing (2020) Tools of the trade: guidance for health care staff on glove use and the prevention of contact dermatitis. London: RCN. Royal College of Nursing (2020) Tools of the trade: guidance for health care staff on glove use and the prevention of contact dermatitis. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2017) Creating a strategic focus to support the prevention of infection: RCN statement, London: RCN. Royal College of Nursing (2017) Creating a strategic focus to support the prevention of infection: RCN statement. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2017) Essential practice for infection prevention and control: guidance for nursing staff, London, RCN. Royal College of Nursing (2017) Essential practice for infection prevention and control: guidance for nursing staff. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2017) Infection prevention and control: information and learning resources for health care staff, London: RCN. Royal College of Nursing (2017) Infection prevention and control: information and learning resources for health care staff. London: RCN.
Public Health England (2019) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): applying All Our Health. London: PHE.
Public Health England (2017) Health matters: preventing infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance. London: PHE.
Health Protection Scotland (2012) National infection prevention and control manual. Edinburgh: Health Protection Scotland/NHS National Services Scotland.
HM Government (2019) Contained and controlled. The UK’s 20-year vision for antimicrobial resistance. (no place): GOV.UK.
Department of Health (2015) The Health and Social Care Act 2008: code of practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. London: DH.
Healthcare Commission (2006) Investigation into outbreaks of Clostridium difficile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust. London: Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection. 
We would like to thank the RCN Infection Prevention and Control member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Books

Bearman G, Munoz-Price S, Morgan D and Murthy R (2018) Infection prevention: new perspectives and controversies. Cham: Springer.
Colbert B J and Gonzalez III L S (2015) Microbiology: practical applications and infection prevention, Boston: Cengage Learning. Colbert B J and Gonzalez III L S (2015) Microbiology: practical applications and infection prevention. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Delves-Yates C and Northway R (2018) Essentials of nursing practice (2nd edition), Los Angeles, Sage. Delves-Yates C and Northway R (2018) Essentials of nursing practice. 2nd edn. Los Angeles: Sage.
Elliott P, Storr J and Jeanes A (eds.) (2016) Infection prevention and control: perceptions and perspectives. Milton: CRC Press.
McGuire-Wolfe C (2017) Foundations of infection control and prevention, Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. McGuire-Wolfe C (2017) Foundations of infection control and prevention. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Saint S, Krein S L and Stock R W (2015) Preventing hospital infections: real world problems, realistic solutions, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Saint S, Krein S L and Stock R W (2015) Preventing hospital infections: real world problems, realistic solutions. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Walker J (2020) Decontamination in hospitals and healthcare. 2nd ed. Duxford: Woodhead. Walker J T (2020) Decontamination in hospitals and healthcare. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.
Ward D (2016) Microbiology and infection prevention and control for nursing students. Los Angeles: SAGE. Ward D (2016) Microbiology and infection prevention and control for nursing students. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Weston D, Burgess A and Roberts S (2017) Infection prevention and control at a glance, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Weston D, Burgess A and Roberts S (2017) Infection prevention and control at a glance. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Wilson J (2019) Infection control in clinical practice. Updated 3rd ed. London: Elsevier. Wilson J (2019) Infection control in clinical practice. Updated 3rd edn. London: Elsevier.

Classic books

Fraise A P and Bradley C (2009) Ayliffe’s control of healthcare-associated infection: a practical handbook. 5th edn. London: Hodder Arnold. Fraise A P and Bradley C (2009) Ayliffe’s control of healthcare-associated infection: a practical handbook. 5th edn. London: Hodder Arnold.
Perry C (2007) Infection prevention and control. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. Perry C (2007) Infection prevention and control. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
Ross S and Furrows S (2014) Rapid infection control nursing, Chichester: Wiley Blackwell. Ross S and Furrows S (2014) Rapid infection control nursing. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
Gould D and Brooker C (2008) Infection prevention and control: applied microbiology for healthcare (2nd edition), Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Gould D and Brooker C (2008) Infection prevention and control: applied microbiology for healthcare. 2nd edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Davies, SC, Grant, J and Catchpole M (2013) The drugs don't work: a global threat, London: Viking. Davies S C, Grant J and Catchpole M (2013) The drugs don't work: a global threat. London: Viking.

Book subject searches

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

Events and Exhibitions

RCN Library exhibition: Pandemic RCN exhibition: Pandemic!
  • Disease is powerful. It can devastate communities and countries, threaten global security and challenge modern medicine and health care. This exhibition explored how nurses have responded to deadly outbreaks, from the so-called Spanish Flu epidemic after the First World War to more recent contagions, like HIV/AIDS and Ebola.
    View online exhibition

This subject guide relates to:

Infection Prevention and Control: Clinical topic
Infection Prevention and Control Network
RCN Library staff

Sibylla Parkhill

Editor of this guide

RCN Library and Archive Service

Page last updated - 20/09/2020

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