An Infection Preventionist is a Registered Nurse who is an expert in the policies, procedures, and practices related to pathogen transmission and antibiotic tracking. Count on these specially-trained nurses to:
- Identify areas of high risk;
- Monitor/track infections, vaccinations, and antibiotic usage; and
- Customize education/training programs for clinical/front line staff.
Did you know that Infection Preventionists complete a formal, comprehensive training program (19+ CEU hours, 23 training modules, plus competency testing)? Learn more about the Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training course that was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) here:
https://www.cdc.gov/longtermcare/training.html.
Infection Preventionists can always provide valuable remote support inclusive of:
- Audits/evaluations of current policies and processes (including monitoring for infections and antibiotic usage);
- Physician/Medical Team education; and
- Support for nursing’s role in infection control and antibiotic stewardship.
RESOURCE ALERT! Is your healthcare team preparing for survey? Organizing a COVID-19 response? Or preparing for re-opening? HealthPRO Heritage created an invaluable resource just for you: an “Infection Control Mini-Toolkit”. Our ~25 customizable templates and tracking tools are intended as your team’s first-line resources. To access our Infection Control Mini-Toolkit, click here.
In honor of Nurses’ Week, HealthPRO Heritage acknowledges and celebrates our three Infection Preventionists: Teresa Toth, RN, RAC-CT; Kristal Prather, RN, RAC-CT; and Chelsea Lowe, RN, CMAC, RAC-CT... Thank you for all you do to keep our staff and our patients safe!
