One of the greatest threats to the health of medical professionals, their patients and the public at large is the failure to properly control the spread of infection in clinical settings. Infection control is a top priority for healthcare professionals and organizations across the globe.
Cheri Fast, RN, BSN, CIC; Project Firstline Lead in South Dakota, recently offered a comprehensive review on proper cleaning and disinfection titled, Cleaning is More Than A Swiffer and Mr. Clean. Fast helped identify the chain of infection and environment of care in the spread of infections and offered strategies and tips to support cleaning and disinfection compliance in healthcare environments. The Webinar was hosted by Great Plains Quality Innovation Network and the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care.
If you missed the Webinar, you can access the recording and handouts on the Great Plains QIN Web site.
“Fast provided some basic tips and reminders that made me realize we may need to rethink some of our cleaning practices. For example, checking the correct dwell time of a chemical to ensure appropriate drying time and proper use of a cleaning cloth,” a participant commented.
“Cleaning and disinfection are important elements in reducing infections in all healthcare facilities and even in our homes. We often forget the simplest of interventions can have a big impact on controlling infections, such as hand hygiene and how we clean. I encourage individuals to access the video training on the new South Dakota Project Firstline website; the site includes seven modules on infection control – and more coming! Each module includes a certificate of completion as well as continuing education credit. The trainings are quick, include the latest CDC information, easy to access and you can fit it in on a lunch break. If you have questions or would like to visit about how we can assist you, please contact me or Charlotte Hofer,” added Fast
Contact North Dakota’s Project Firstline Lead, Nicole Galler, for trainings and resources in North Dakota.
Launched in 2020, CDC’s Project Firstline is a collaborative of diverse healthcare, public health and academic partners committed to providing infection control training designed especially for healthcare workers. The innovative content is designed so that—regardless of a healthcare worker’s previous training or educational background— they can understand and confidently apply the infection control principles and protocols necessary to protect themselves, their facility, their family and their community from infectious disease threats, such as COVID-19.