Identifying infection prevention and control breaches of practice to inform workplace training

Author(s)
Fitzgerald, Alison
Sheedy, Angela
Publication Date
2023-08-01
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that improper use of infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies can cause outbreaks in the community. Knowing this risk of disease transmission caused anxiety in staff and their families. The Centre for National Resilience (CNR) quarantine facility accommodated over 33,000 residents with no recorded COVID-19 transmission. This research paper presents how the CNR nurse education team addressed a lack of understanding around IPC & personal protection equipment (PPE) within the primary health quarantine environment. The paper provides recommendations to address these concerns and improve staff confidence and competence in maintaining effective IPC techniques in any health environment. Implementing a case study methodology, this project explores what new CNR staff identified as IPC & PPE breaches and how they ranked these in relation to the risk of disease transmission. Data from 30 orientation sessions was collected with 603 breach risk responses reviewed using a framework analysis to categorise actual breach risk. Findings demonstrated that new quarantine staff tended to rate all PPE breaches as high to medium risk for COVID-19 disease transmission with a number of common areas continually identified for breach risks. This assisted in structuring future sessions directing where further education and training were required. Five core breach themes emerged from the analysis: 1. Donning and doffing of PPE 2. PPE failures 3. Environmental factors 4. Staff behaviours 5. Resident behaviours In any context where IPC and PPE is required, addressing potential breaches and mitigation strategies should form a routine part of education and training. This aligns with the NT Health Strategic Plan 2023-2028, section 3.4 by providing strong clinical governance and standards. This ensures staff working in communicable disease environments will understand the significance of a breach and how to correct it, ultimately reducing transmission risk and associated anxiety.
Affiliation
(Fitzgerald) GDipPH, CLL, Population and Primary Health Care Formally Education & Research Coordinator at CNR
(Sheedy) MPH, Senior Research Officer, CDU Menzies School of Medicine
Citation
Fitzgerald, A., & Sheedy, A. (2023, August 1). Identifying infection prevention and control breaches of practice to inform workplace training [Conference presentation]. NT Health Research Symposium, Darwin, NT, Australia.
Link
Publisher
NT Health Research Symposium
Title
Identifying infection prevention and control breaches of practice to inform workplace training
Type of document
Conference presentation
Entity Type
Publication

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