Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract.
LI, low-income countries; LMIC, low- and middle-income countries; HMI, high- and middle-income countries; HIC, high-income countries.
Resource web link: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/healthcare/pdfs/ANA-CDC-whitepaper.pdf (Full classification scheme available at: http://bsac.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Educational-resource-review-classification-scheme.pdf)
WHO region and country (World Bank): Region of the Americas, USA (HIC)
Peer review commentary
The resource is a White Paper to inform registered nurses in the USA about the problem of antibiotic resistance and to clearly define their role in antibiotic stewardship programmes (ASPs). It is a conclusion of a series of workgroup meetings and a conference organized by the American Nurses Association and CDC.
The White Paper consists of three parts. The first part reviews ASPs and the current state of antibiotic resistance. The most extensive second part deals with barriers to nurses’ participation in ASPs, gaps in nurses’ knowledge about antibiotics and resistance and unrecognized nurses’ roles in stewardship functions. The workgroup identified four key questions: what are the bedside roles of nurses with regard to antibiotics, what education and training is needed to perform these roles, how can nurses be more engaged in ASPs and what can be done to engage nursing leaders in ASPs.
The third part gives recommendations on how to strengthen the role of nurses in ASPs and the need for their future education in ASPs.
The White Paper discusses an important issue on the role of nurses in ASPs. The document is intended for US nurses, but it is applicable to other countries as well.