Table 3 –Verbatim transcriptions of audiotaped comments by health professionals – except verbatim transcription already cited in the text

Strong cohesive team structure with supportive and outcome-oriented work attitude

Human resources

Team spirit / internal communication

"We really have to be a team, so we really have to get across the same messages" IPC MD and nurse UH3( +) ^a

Recruitment: specific choice or attractiveness for prevention control and interdisciplinary job

"Because I know at least two nurses, one of whom was in the unit, who are at home with a long illness and could come and work on those projects.… There's a lot of absenteeism like everywhere in French hospitals." IPC MD ICC president UH7(−)

Inter-hospital networking

"The overall scores of all the national indicators are higher in the cancer centres. There's the whole history because oncology (…), it's always seeking innovation." IPC MD CC3 ( +) ^b

IPC structure within the organisation of the healthcare facility

Visibility of the IPC team

"We absolutely wanted the infection control team to be at the centre of the care facility." IPC MD and nurse UH3( +) ^c

Presence in the frontline workplace

"It's only during an epidemic that we don’t demand appointments." IPC MD UH11(−) ^d

"We try not to intrude in the healthcare units." IPC head nurse UH11(−)

"We can't be onsite outside a crisis situation. So, they only see us during a crisis." IPC MD UH6 (−)

Timeliness of attitude towards clinical events—reactive or proactive

"That gives us so many things (to think about) afterwards. We can see, if we've acted on a subject, we'll see in the following months…so we can see if it's simmering, if it's increasing or not." IPC head nurse UH1( +)

Defining priorities—opportunity costs

"I think team mobilization for the management of patients with emergent highly-resistant bacteria, that's diverted our energy somewhat" IPC MD UH10(−)

Flexibility in communication; positive communication

"Whenever a nurse turns up wearing jewellery, it's like no, you're not working if you have jewellery." IPC nurse RC5( +) ^e

Positive communication

"Being tactful: if we oppose a team or someone, forget it. Afterwards, it's very hard to backtrack." IPC nurse CC3( +)

"Teaching can't just be made up." IPC nurse UH6(−)

"We, we have communication problems. (….) We lay out guidelines. Someone said to me regarding staff hierarchy, all the experts talk about guidelines (…). It's too light a term. And obligation is too bossy. So, it's odd." IPC nurse UH11(−)

"When some people, certain doctors, when they're working a huge amount, …you can't say anything to them, because they send you packing." IPC MD UH7(−)

Cynicism and discouragement

"Even if from time to time we have to swallow one insult after another, it's our job." IPC MD UH8(−)

Culture of auditing and feedback

"When a carrier of multi-resistant bacteria arrives, the whole department is informed and we conduct three audits a week, before reporting straight after." IPC head nurse UH4 ( +)

"And we had a 'zero jewellery' audit twice a year, so we went into all the departments. (…) And then, we took the opportunity to talk about hand sanitizer. So, there was still the feedback and the posters for the personalized service for the department. That's our thing, each time we send the personalized results by department and even, at the same time, the hand-rub consumption (….)." IPC MD CC3 ( +)

Frontline workers staffing in a difficult sociopolitical context

"There are never the same people at meetings. They're always representatives of representatives, so we have to explain all over again each time. It's pointless meetingitis." IPC head nurse UH4 ( +)

Link nurses

"We had correspondents. This network collapsed (…) over time people changed sector and were not replaced." IPC MD UH5(−)

"It's true the role of link nurses is essential because in fact they're peers. They're on an equal footing and so can discuss more freely. When there's a hierarchical relationship, it's much more complicated." Manager, care RC3 ( +)

AHR consumption indicator (AH RC)

"Because once we improve, the hand-rub consumption indicator changes and, hey, we're bad again!" ICC president MD UH5(−)

There were big differences also in the feedback of alcohol-based handrub consumption to the wards

"If we send the hand-rub consumption indicator, we don't get much feedback." IPC nurse UH6(−)

"This indicator, it's completely…well, I find it absurd, in fact. No account is taken of the reduction of hospital-acquired infections in the departments. It can't be used as an argument among professionals." IPC MD UH8(−)

"Using this indicator alone to have an idea of the prevention of hospital-acquired infections in a care facility, I find that very simplistic." IPC MD UH6(−)

"The fact that there's an indicator associated with hand-rub use raises visibility and importance." IPC MD CC2( +)

"If your organisation is not up to scratch, you'll have nosocomial infections, which is why proof is needed of the efficiency of the organization put in place." Quality manager UH3( +)

Active support of institution

"There are tensions at the hospital. (…) we're asked to do more with less, whether it's funding or staff." IPC MD UH6(−)

"There absolutely no culture of quality, of prevention, of risk management at the hospital." (−) IPC MD UH6(−)

Infection Control Committee

"We'd really like our public health physicians to speak to the doctors, but when they do it's within the confines of the medical committee and they have 5 min to get everyone on board (….)." IPC nurse UH6(−) ^f

Leadership and role model

"Knowing one's hospital, each other's problems, knowing how the procedures are, or are not, applied." IP MD UH1(+)

"I think there's drive, and a good atmosphere too. I think a good atmosphere at work also encourages good practice. The pleasure of being at work, the pleasure of working well." IPC nurse RC5(+)