AORN26 Offers Framework for Translating Infection Prevention Guidelines Into Practical Policies

Session focuses on helping perioperative teams operationalize recommendations from organizations like CDC and AORN.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 12:42pm

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A ghostly, translucent X-ray photograph of a surgical instrument tray, revealing the intricate internal structures and highlighting the importance of proper sterilization and infection control protocols.An X-ray view of the complex inner workings of surgical equipment underscores the critical role of infection prevention policies in perioperative settings.New Orleans Today

One of the most persistent challenges in infection prevention is not a lack of guidance, but the difficulty of translating that guidance into policies that are practical, sustainable, and tailored to real-world settings. At the 2026 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo (AORN26), Erica Smith, DrPH, MBA, addressed this gap with a session aimed at helping perioperative teams move from guidelines to actionable protocols.

Why it matters

While templates and resources exist, they are often too generic to meet the specific needs of individual facilities. For infection preventionists (IPs), this reflects a common tension - policies must be grounded in evidence, but they must also remain flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions and local workflows.

The details

At the core of Smith's session is a framework designed to simplify policy development and maintenance. Rather than creating a single, static document, she encourages teams to break policies into distinct layers. This structure allows for targeted updates without requiring a complete rewrite of the policy. Smith also emphasized the value of collaborative thinking in developing effective policies, with participants working through mock scenarios to see how others interpret and apply the same evidence.

  • AORN26 will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 11 to 14.
  • Smith's presentation will be held on April 11 from 4:30- 5:30 in rooms 208-210.

The players

Erica Smith

DrPH, MBA, national accounts manager for nonacute care at PDI, who brings a unique perspective shaped by clinical collaboration across surgery centers, oncology, and dialysis.

Infection Control Today

A publication that will provide more AORN26 coverage.

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What they’re saying

“The biggest thing that kept coming up…was how do they take guidelines into protocols?”

— Erica Smith, National Accounts Manager, PDI

“A template may not be enough specific to that surgery center.”

— Erica Smith, National Accounts Manager, PDI

“You're going to have a layer 1, which talks about the guideline intent, layer 2, the steps to get to that guideline intent, and layer 3, the products and or equipment that help with those.”

— Erica Smith, National Accounts Manager, PDI

“Hand hygiene is the number one thing we can do to prevent the spread of infection.”

— Erica Smith, National Accounts Manager, PDI

“There's so many things we have to worry about…but if we get back to those fundamentals, those basics, we can handle each day as it comes.”

— Erica Smith, National Accounts Manager, PDI

What’s next

Participants will have the opportunity to work through mock scenarios and evaluate guidelines to determine how to translate them into practical policy language during Smith's interactive session at AORN26.

The takeaway

Smith's layered approach, combined with an emphasis on collaboration and simplicity, provides a roadmap for developing infection prevention policies that are both compliant and usable, helping perioperative teams bridge the gap between guidelines and real-world practice.