Objective To explore the application of risk assessment of nosocomial infection control in outpatient departments, so as to find out the high-risk departments and high-risk links of nosocomial infection, and to provide basis for the formulation of nosocomial infection prevention and control measures in outpatient departments. Methods The improved risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the nosocomial infection management risk in the outpatient departments of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. We evaluated risk indicators and risk levels from three dimensions: likelihood of risk occurrence, severity of consequences, and integrity of the current system. Results Among the evaluated outpatient departments, the departments with extremely high risk levels included pediatric fever outpatient department (147.8 points), pediatric outpatient department (141.2 points), emergency internal medicine department (139.4 points), and pediatric emergency department (138.8 points). The departments with high risk levels included internal medicine outpatient department (138.4 points), dermatology outpatient department (136.0 points), otolaryngology-head and neck surgery outpatient department (135.6 points), and ophthalmology outpatient department (134.0 points). The risk assessment scores of 31 outpatient departments showed a normal distribution. The evaluation results of various risk indicators showed that among the 26 risk indicators, there were 2 extremely low risk, 4 low risk, 6 medium low risk, 7 medium high risk, 4 high risk, and 3 extremely high risk. The 3 extremely high risk indicators were lack of nosocomial infection prevention and control knowledge, patients with difficult to identify diseases (air/droplet transmission) seeking medical treatment, and crowded waiting areas for patients. Conclusions The comprehensive risk assessment of outpatient departments can screen out high risk outpatient departments and find out the main risk links. We can concentrate resources on key departments, prevent key risks, and improve the efficiency of nosocomial infection control.