Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1225425
Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com 9 March 23–April 27, 2020 for the upcoming year. This includes regular unit rounding to ensure adherence to specific unit-based infection prevention strategies, running statistical HAI analysis, creating perform- ance improvement plans, reviewing poli- cies and aligning them with current evi- dence-based guidelines. We also play a leadership role, as we must ensure that we abide by all mandat- ed regulations and recommendations. IPs also consult and influence on many patient safety scenarios, which can include patient device selection, con- struction, water damage remediation, family and/or visitor issues and environ- mental concerns. From time to time, we investigate suspected outbreaks. Please provide a HIPAA-compliant patient story to illustrate the work you do. Working with patients with an infectious disease poses a lot of challenges. These types of patients are under strict moni- toring and guidance from the Department of Public Health, as their diagnosis is a matter of public health. It changes their lives and will continue to have an impact in their future. Also, there continues to be stigma regarding the care of such patients. As an IP, I need to ensure that patients understand their disease process and their disposition, which involves a coordinated approach with the health department, case management and the patient. It can be scary. For example, I had a patient who was being ruled out for tuberculosis. This caused an incredible amount of fear in the patient and in the patient's family. Did you pursue any special certifications or training in order to master your current role? Yes. At first, I began taking online courses though the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). As I've continued to evolve in the IP position, I've also taken an ample number of California Department of Public Health (CDPH) trainings. These self-paced and in-person train- ings prepared me to take the five-day APIC Foundations of Infection Prevention course. Let me tell you, they either make you or break you as an IP! After a few years as an experienced IP, and after dozens of webinars, courses and firsthand experiences, I passed the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) comprehensive exam to earn the certification in infection control (CIC) designation. What are the challenges of infec- tion control in the 21st century? One of the general challenges for me in this specialty is setting a daily routine or schedule. I get curveballs thrown at me all the time, and I honestly can't recall the last time I was actually on schedule. Usually, I have to deviate in order to take on 10 dif- ferent tasks or meetings. That said, this is also what makes infection prevention exciting to me: Every day is a different day. The other challenging elements are the rapid evolution of technology and the increase in mandatory reporting require- ments. We are years past the paper chart stage, which means that infection preven- tionists can spend a lot of time behind their desks conducting ongoing surveil- lance, doing research, entering mandated reports, creating reports, etc. It becomes very challenging when you don't have the staff power to share those responsibilities. Ultimately, we infection preventionists need to ensure that we don't lose sight of the patients and the human element. We need to get out there and evaluate patients, monitor patient safety practices such as hand hygiene and adherence to HAI prevention bundles, and interact with colleagues. Infection preventionists need to get out there and evaluate patients, monitor patient safety practices such as hand hygiene, and interact with colleagues. HOW IS YOUR TEAM RESPONDING TO THE PRESENT COVID-19 OUTBREAK? M Y RESPONSIBILITIES change drastically during an outbreak or pandemic like the cur- rent COVID-19 crisis. My primary role during an outbreak shifts to hospital preparedness and response to potential cases. I'm on call 24/7. THE MOST CHALLENGING aspect is the ever-changing guide- lines from the CDC and other agencies. While those guidelines are necessary to ensure the safety of our healthcare workers, they can create obstacles for leaders and are often stressful for the entire healthcare team. Furthermore, we must often tackle protocols that change overnight, sometimes multiple times a day. This involves reedu- cating and disseminating informa- tion to more than 2,500 employ- ees in a very short period of time. AS AN EXAMPLE, our facility organized in-services for staff regarding the level of personal protective equipment (PPE) required to care for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. As soon as our staff were able to complete the education, we had to inform them about the updated guidelines. It can be hard for staff to accept such changes because reverting to a lower level of pro- tection can leave people feeling unprotected. My team's credibili- ty as infection preventionists may even be questioned. Continued on page 11