Candida auris infection control performance among hospital nurses: the role of organizational culture and awareness
Youn Joung Eom, Jeong Sil ChoiAbstract
Objective:
To examine knowledge, awareness, and organizational culture regarding Candida auris and identify factors influencing infection control performance among hospital nurses.
Design:
Multicenter, cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Six acute-care public and private general/tertiary hospitals (≥500 beds) in South Korea.
Participants:
195 direct-care nurses with ≥3 months of clinical experience.
Methods:
Data were collected via an online survey (Feb 1–9, 2026). The 60-item instrument assessed C. auris knowledge (19 items), awareness (16 items), organizational culture—defined as shared norms, leadership support, and safety climate for infection control (10 items)—and infection control performance (15 items). The researcher-developed measures underwent content validation (I-CVI ≥ 0.80), and all measures showed acceptable internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.902; Cronbach’s α = 0.875–0.937). Analysis included Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression.
Results:
Mean scores were 0.63 ± 0.19 for knowledge, 4.21 ± 0.55 for awareness, 3.64 ± 0.52 for organizational culture, and 4.03 ± 0.64 for infection control performance. Performance correlated with knowledge ( r = 0.210, P = .003), awareness ( r = 0.406, P < .001), and organizational culture ( r = 0.498, P < .001). Organizational culture ( β = 0.411, P < .001) and awareness ( β = 0.265, P < .001) were significant predictors (adjusted R 2 = 0.309), whereas knowledge was not ( β = 0.038, P = .565).
Conclusions:
Organizational culture and awareness are the primary drivers of C. auris infection control performance. Hospitals should complement knowledge-based training with supportive organizational environments, supervisor feedback, and unit-level systems that facilitate consistent practice.