THE ROLE OF NURSING IN PREVENTING SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS

Abstract

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common complications arising from surgical procedures, significantly impacting patient morbidity and mortality. Depending on the procedure, they can be diagnosed within 30 days or up to 3 months after the procedure. Among healthcare-related infections, SSIs are among the most common, ranking third among all infections. It is estimated that SSIs account for approximately 14% to 16% of all infections found in hospitalized patients. Unfortunately, the number of patients acquiring some type of surgical site infection is increasing recurrently. A surgical wound is considered infected when purulent secretion appears in the scar, with or without inflammatory signs—heat, redness, edema, pain—and can be classified as clean, possibly contaminated, or contaminated. It is crucial that nursing staff adopt a clinical approach to their practices, employing systematic procedures, correctly using prophylaxis and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and providing quality and responsible care. Objective: To describe, in light of the literature, the role of nursing in the prevention of surgical site infections. Methodology: This study is an integrative literature review based on the following guiding question: What is the role of nursing in the prevention of surgical site infections? Data collection took place between August and September of this year through the Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases, using the health sciences descriptors (DECS): infection control, surgical center, and nursing, associated with the Boolean operator "and." The inclusion criteria adopted were: articles published between 2020 and 2025, free of charge, in Portuguese, addressing the topic and available in full. Duplicate articles (those present in more than one database), monographs, incomplete articles, dissertations, and those that deviate from the study proposal were excluded. Results and Discussion: This study identified factors that indicate the role of nursing in the prevention of surgical site infections. The data discussed indicate that practices such as adequate hand sanitization, respecting the minimum recommended time, have a direct impact on reducing microbial load. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that valuing nurses, investing in continuing education, and strengthening institutional infection control policies are essential strategies for promoting patient safety and effectively reducing surgical site infections in hospital settings.