What’s in the Air? Rethinking Airflow and Infection Risk in Health Care
Image generated using Google’s Nano Banana 2, 4/20/26.
For nurses, environmental infection prevention is often framed around visible conditions such as high-touch surfaces, shared equipment, and visible dirt. In my experience, airflow and ventilation are not topics that receive significant emphasis in nursing education or orientation. While this may vary by setting, many nurses are left to learn these concepts in practice rather than through formal training.
With the recent COVID-19 and measles outbreaks, there has been more focused attention placed on contaminated air as a risk to patient safety. In my work with health care teams across settings, I’ve found that while nurses are highly attuned to cleaning and disinfection practices, airflow and ventilation are often assumed to be “handled” by the facility operations staff. In reality, these systems depend heavily on how the environment is used at the bedside. Small, routine actions—like leaving a door open or introducing a fan—can unintentionally disrupt carefully designed controls.
This gap in awareness among clinical staff matters. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to report progress in reducing health care-associated infections (HAIs), these infections remain at a persistent risk for patients. Expanding the nurse’s focus on the […]
