RESUMO
Preventing infections in nursing homes is highly challenging, given the ambiguous nature of nursing homes as care institutions and places to live. Yet, little is known about how care workers experience preventing infections in this context. Understanding the ambiguities experienced by care workers in nursing homes when enacting infection prevention is crucial to preparing for future health crises. This study investigates and identifies the ambiguities care workers faced and experienced when preventing infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews and observations were combined to capture narratives and behaviors related to infection prevention and care work. By using thematic analysis, three types of ambiguity were identified: (a) an Ambiguous sense of purpose, (b) Environmental ambiguity, and (c) Information ambiguity. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of the ambiguities care workers face and experience in nursing homes when preventing infections and indicate that such ambiguities impact their behaviors and attitudes. From this study, it is possible to conclude that policymakers must consider nursing homes' ambiguous characteristics in infection prevention programs.
Preventing infections in nursing homes entails performing behaviors related to hygiene in the ambiguous context of being both a home and a care institution.Care workers experience ambiguity of purpose, environmental ambiguity and information ambiguity when preventing infections in nursing homes.Infection prevention policies need to consider nursing homes' ambiguous characteristics to respond to health crises in the future.Particular attention must be paid to the ambiguities experienced by care workers.