Free checklist · Infection control
Infection Control Audit Checklist
This checklist helps the infection control team audit a ward or unit against the hospital's infection prevention programme. It covers practice as well as environment: hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning, sterile supplies, waste, staff health and surveillance. Use the findings to drive corrective action and to report to the hospital infection control committee.
- Checks
- 32
- Sections
- 6
- Frequency
- Monthly per unit, with focused audits during outbreaks
- Owner
- Infection control nurse
01Hand hygiene and PPE
02Environmental cleaning
03Sterile supplies and patient care practices
04Isolation and transmission-based precautions
05Waste, linen and sharps
06Staff health and surveillance
How to run this checklist well
- Audit at different times of day, including nights and weekends, so you see normal practice and not only prepared practice.
- Record each finding with a photo and the exact location, which makes corrective action faster and harder to dispute.
- Assign every non-compliance an owner and a due date, and track closure in a CAPA log rather than in meeting minutes.
- Score units consistently so trends are comparable month to month and across wards.
- Share results with unit heads within a few days while the observations are still fresh.
Frequently asked questions
How often should an infection control audit be done?
Many hospitals audit each clinical unit monthly and high-risk areas such as ICU, OT and dialysis more often. During an outbreak or after a cluster of infections, focused audits may be done daily or weekly. Your hospital infection control committee should set the frequency and review the results.
Who should carry out infection control audits?
The infection control nurse or infection control officer usually leads, supported by link nurses in each unit. Having someone outside the unit audit adds objectivity. Results go to the hospital infection control committee, which tracks corrective actions and reports to hospital leadership.
How does an infection control audit support NABH accreditation?
NABH expects a structured infection prevention programme with surveillance, audits and corrective action. Regular, documented audits show assessors that the programme is active and that gaps are found and fixed. Keep the records dated, signed and linked to the actions taken.
What should happen after an audit finds gaps?
Each gap should become a corrective and preventive action with an owner, a due date and a way to verify closure. Look for the root cause, such as missing supplies, unclear responsibility or training, and recheck the area in a follow-up audit to confirm the fix has held.
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Make your hospital audit-ready every single shift.
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