The Role of Nursing Management in Preventing Hospital Infections in Plastic Surgery Service: Evaluation of Surveillance Data in a University Hospital
Objective Hospital-acquired infections are major complications threatening patient safety, prolonging hospitalization, and increasing healthcare costs in surgical clinics. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms has made infection control a central component of healthcare management. Nursing management plays a critical role in implementing infection control policies, staff training, maintaining care standards, and ensuring patient safety. This study aimed to evaluate hospital infection rates in a university hospital plastic surgery service from a nursing management perspective. Materials and Methods This retrospective descriptive study analyzed infection surveillance data of patients hospitalized in a university hospital plastic surgery service during 2025. Patient numbers, hospitalization days, infection rates, and isolated microorganisms were evaluated. Findings were interpreted in relation to in-fection control practices, nursing care processes, and clinical management approaches. Results A total of 2774 patients were hospitalized during 2025, with 6641 hospitali-zation days recorded. Five hospital-acquired infections were detected. Infec-tion rate was 0.18%, while infection density was 0.75 per 1000 patient-days. The isolated microorganisms included MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Conclusion The low infection rates observed in the plastic surgery service may be asso-ciated with effective nursing management, standardized care protocols, regu-lar staff training, and compliance with infection control measures. Nursing leadership and clinical care management are among the primary determi-nants in reducing hospital-acquired infections.