assessing physical structure of neonatal intensive care unit from the perspective of nosocomial infection control

aims: nowadays nosocomial infection control is one of the important management issues in neonatal intensive care unit that in this context, the nicu’s physical structure can improve infection control processes or interfere it. the aim of the present study is assessing physical environment of neonatal intensive care unit from the perspective of nosocomial infection control indicators. methods: this study is a descriptive cross sectional study in 2011with statistical population of 11 neonatal intensive care units and research environment of all includes 10 public hospitals of tehran medical sciences university. the study tools had been taken from the 7thand latest report of the “recommended standards for the nicu design” proposed by consensus committee. the researchers completed check list by observation method and analyzed data by using descriptive statistic and spss software of version 14.   results: the findings of this study suggested that there have been observed lack of compliance with all the recommended standards in all the studied sections about air conditioning, features of nicu section levels, sink, neonates care space, isolated room and the features of contaminated instruments storage space, which are indicators of infection control.   conclusion: according to the existence conditions of the physical environment of nicu, it has been suggested to observe recommended standards of designing nicu in constructions that are building or are being renovated for providing suitable implementation in order to activate infection control programs.