A Qualitative Descriptive Analysis of Nurse-Led Perioperative Strategies in Preventing Surgical Site Infections at the Philippine Heart Center
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19478530Keywords:
nurse-led strategies, Perioperative nursing, Philippine Heart Center, qualitative study, SSI prevention, thematic analysisAbstract
Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) continue to pose a significant challenge to postoperative safety, accounting for a substantial proportion of healthcare-associated infections in low- and middle-income countries. Despite ongoing advancements in surgical techniques and infection-prevention protocols, inconsistencies in perioperative practices and adherence to guidelines contribute to the sustained burden of SSIs. International and local guidelines emphasize that nurses play a pivotal role in implementing core SSI-prevention strategies, including antimicrobial prophylaxis, skin antisepsis, aseptic technique, normothermia and glycemic control, and postoperative wound surveillance. In the Philippines, reports of persistent infection rates in high-risk surgeries highlight the need to strengthen perioperative nursing practices. At the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), where patients undergo complex cardiovascular procedures, nurse-led perioperative strategies are essential to reducing infection risk. However, limited research has explored how perioperative nurses perceive, implement, and experience these strategies within this specialized setting. This study employed a qualitative descriptive design to examine the experiences, perceived roles, challenges, adherence to protocols, and perspectives of PHC perioperative nurses regarding SSI-prevention practices. Data were collected through an open-ended Google Form and analyzed using thematic analysis. Key themes revealed nurses’ commitment to evidence-based practice, the importance of interdisciplinary communication, barriers to consistent protocol adherence, and the influence of workplace systems on their ability to prevent SSIs. Findings demonstrate that nurse-led perioperative strategies significantly shape the consistency and effectiveness of infection-prevention efforts. The study offers insights that may guide improvements in perioperative workflow, strengthen guideline implementation, and enhance nurse-driven interventions aimed at reducing SSIs in cardiovascular surgical settings. These conclusions underscore the vital role of perioperative nurses in promoting safer surgical care and inform future practice, education, and policy development.
References
Berríos-Torres, S. I., Umscheid, C. A., Bratzler, D. W., Leas, B., Stone, E. C., Kelz, R. R., Reinke, C. E., Morgan, S., Solomkin, J. S., Mazuski, J. E., Dellinger, E. P., Itani, K. M. F., Berbari, E. F., Segreti, J., Parvizi, J., Blanchard, J., Allen, G., Kluytmans, J. A. J. W., Donlan, R., & Schecter, W. P. (2017). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline for the prevention of surgical site infection, 2017. JAMA Surgery, 152(8), 784–791. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2017.0904
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Procedure-associated module: Surgical site infection (SSI) event. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) patient safety component manual. http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/9pscssicurrent.pdf
Cooper, J., Calderon, C., Smith, R., & Turner, J. (2023). Advances in postoperative wound-care monitoring. Journal of Perioperative Nursing, 40(2), 112–118.
Darouiche, R. O., Wall, M. J., Jr., Itani, K. M. F., Otterson, M. F., Webb, A. L., Carrick, M. M., Miller, H. J., Awad, S. S., Crosby, C. T., Mosier, M. C., AlSharif, A., & Berger, D. H. (2010). Chlorhexidine–alcohol versus povidone-iodine for surgical-site antisepsis. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(1), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0810988
Dumville, J. C., McFarlane, E., Edwards, P., Lipp, A., Holmes, A., & Liu, Z. (2015). Preoperative skin antiseptics for preventing surgical wound infections after clean surgery. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015(4), Article CD003949. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003949.pub4
Fiocco, M., Landriani, L., & Sorrentino, P. (2024). Postoperative wound-care pathways and infection outcomes. International Journal of Surgical Nursing, 32, 55–63.
Hsieh, C., Tan, M., & Zhao, W. (2025). Comparative analysis of antiseptic agents in preventing surgical site infections. Journal of Infection Control Research, 18(1), 21–29.
Hyldig, N., Vinter, C. A., Kruse, M., Mogensen, O., Bille, C., Sørensen, J. A., Lamont, R. F., Wu, C., Heidemann, L. N., Ibsen, M. H., Laursen, J. B., Ovesen, P. G., Rørbye, C., Tanvig, M., & Jørgensen, J. S. (2019). Prophylactic incisional negative pressure wound therapy reduces the risk of surgical site infection after caesarean section in obese women: A pragmatic randomised clinical trial. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 126(5), 628–635. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.15413
Kurz, A., Sessler, D. I., & Lenhardt, R. (1996). Perioperative normothermia to reduce the incidence of surgical wound infection and shorten hospitalization. New England Journal of Medicine, 334(19), 1209–1215. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199605093341901
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2023). Surgical site infections: Prevention and treatment (NICE guideline NG125). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng125
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Research on Multidisciplinary Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
