Alejandro Araújo Ameijeiras is an infectious disease nurse and study coordinator.

Having always had a passion for healthcare, he considered careers in both medicine and physiotherapy, but decided to focus his attention on nursing. 

Having graduated in Vigo in 2016, he has worked in multiple institutions in a variety of settings, gaining considerable experience in his chosen field. He has now settled at the Galicia Sur Health Research Institute in Spain.

Day to Day

A significant portion of Alejandro’s daily work is dedicated to the REVERSE project, but he also works on other clinical trials, both commercial and non-commercial. For Alejandro, one of the most enjoyable parts of his role is the team that he works with! He has the good fortune to work closely with   a colleague he has known since his university days and shares his daily responsibilities with her. Alejandro attributes the success of his work to the teamwork and great relationships he has with his colleagues. 

When asked about his favourite part of his role, Alejandro said: 

“What motivates me and what I enjoy most about my job, is seeing that what we do has positive outcomes for both patients and institutions. Little by little, I see the impact of the work my colleagues and I are doing”.

The REVERSE Project

Within the REVERSE project, Alejandro works in a central role within his organisation – coordinating the project. This is a busy and varied task that he shares with his collegues Claudia Vázquez Estévez and Maite Pérez (head of the infectious diseases group). 

Working closely alongside his team, data processing is a key task for Alejandro - collating monthly and quarterly information for dissemination, communicating with multiple branches of the organisation, and coordinating the outputs. 

Alejandro is also very hands on, having taken an active role in hand hygiene and contact precautions audits, as well as point prevelence surveys. 

Impact of REVERSE

Implementing certain measures proven to be of benefit is a key goal for Alejandro. 

Working closely with professionals within his organization, the implementation of procedures such as hand hygiene audits, enhanced isolation precautions, active routine surveilance screening of MDRO’s, and optimised antibiotic useage, will lower rates of hospital-aquired infections, be cost-effective for insitutions, but above all, decrease patient morbidity and mortality. 

SEIMC 2024

Alejandro and his team were onsite at the XXVII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica, presenting an ePoster exploring cases of febrile neutropenia (FN) in the haematology department within his hospital. 

Multiple data were collected on these FN episodes as part of work package four (antibiotic stewardship) within the REVERSE project. Data were collected about the patients themselves as well as the FN case and its evolution. 

As a direct result of this intervention and based on recommendations from within the REVERSE Consortium, the EAT guide for FN episodes have been updated and screening factors for multidrug-resistant organisms have been modified. 

The poster has been included in the SEIMC 2024 digital abstract book, and you can also view the poster here.

Outside the Hospital

When asked where would would find Alejandro when not at work, he said:

“Probably not at home! I really like being active – among my favourite sports are climbing and cycling.”

As well as a love for sports, Alejandro has a passion for travel, taking in every opportunity to explore new countries. When in Zurich for the REVERSE Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Implementation Workshop, he took extra time to explore Switzerland for a few days! 

What’s Next?

Alejandro is a man with a plan. 

He is considering teaching or commencing a PhD. But, for now, he is very happy where he is. 

REVERSE requires a lot of work and he is extremely happy with the team he works with – “they are unbeatable” he says!