STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR THE SANITIZATION OF MOBILE DEVICES IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS

Abstract

The study analyzed the effectiveness of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) developed for sanitizing the cell phones of ICU nursing professionals and investigated whether there was a culture of sanitizing these devices. A hypothetical-deductive study with an exploratory approach and a qualitative-quantitative character was conducted, including information on the number of microorganisms present on participants' cell phones and responses to an online questionnaire. The analyses indicated that further investigations are needed to determine the feasibility of the proposed SOP, as the data obtained were not yet conclusive. It became evident that 95% of the professionals studied sanitized their cell phones with minimal frequency, which facilitated their colonization. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to deepen the analysis of the SOP’s feasibility. Furthermore, the need for greater awareness regarding the frequency of cell phone sanitization is emphasized, aiming to reduce the colonization of these devices.