If infection prevention noncompliance persists after coaching and documentation, what should you do?

• A. Escalate the issue to leadership.
• B. Terminate immediately.
• C. Ignore it.
• D. Only document again.

Answer: (A)

When infection prevention noncompliance persists after coaching and documentation, the appropriate next step is to escalate the issue to leadership. This step brings formal accountability and ensures the problem gets the attention and authority it requires to enforce corrective actions. Leadership involvement helps trigger the institution’s policy-driven processes, such as a performance improvement plan, targeted training, and, if needed, higher-level reviews with risk management or compliance. It reinforces that patient safety and regulatory expectations must be met and helps set a clear timeline and measurable goals for improvement.

Terminating immediately bypasses due process and is not the standard follow-up after coaching and documentation unless a policy-defined, egregious violation has occurred. Ignoring the issue undermines safety and policy compliance, and simply re-documenting without action does not address the underlying behavior or risk. Escalation ensures a structured, trackable remediation path and protects patients while aligning with organizational standards.