SPD is complex and technical . We need team members to train and become educated . Certification is an excellent way to demonstrate technical knowledge . It requires demonstrating a core technical expertise and completing continuing education to maintain competency for this changing industry . A few states have made certification mandatory ; more need to . SP has been perceived as one of the low-level departments in hospitals , historically . It is rare to see SP leaders become executives . We are seeing more SP directors . As a field , SP must be recognized as a field with its own voice ; until that happens , departments will continue to struggle to get the education and resources they need to be successful . We will continue to see clinical knowledge gaps that lead to service failures because of the failed education and implementation strategies . SP leaders must be developed , and they need mentoring , education and the chance to grow . We need to invest in ourselves and partner with our organizational leaders to spread our voices .
HHM What do you believe will be the most pressing issues in 2021 ( in addition to COVID-19 )?
KM : Staffing , surveillance and mitigation of infectious diseases resulting from low vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic , and social determinants of health . Additionally , addressing racism in health care , and re-instituting trust in science and disaster response to infectious disease will be some of the most prevalent healthcare issues in 2021 .
AMP : Vaccinations will be an issue -- making sure people are getting the right vaccinations – both flu and COVID . Early in 2021 that will be a huge focus . Also , there will be staffing issues . Our staff are burned out . We have IPs who are leaving the profession because they are so exhausted . Due to the staffing shortages in New York State where I live , part of the governor ’ s surge plan requirements is for hospitals to reach out to retired nurses and physicians . Ramping up this effort and educating these clinicians will be a formidable challenge .
LG : Education on vaccination acceptance , preventive healthcare measures that impact the spread of infections . Renewed focus on MDRO , including education of healthcare workers that have entered into the profession during the pandemic . There are
Informal Survey Indicates COVID-19 was the IP & C Issue of the Year
an online survey , Healthcare Hygiene magazine asked
In its readers what they felt was critical this year , and what their expectations were for the year ahead . Here ’ s a look at what they reported .
Not surprisingly , 100 percent of survey respondents reported they thought the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic was the most important infection prevention and control-related development in 2020 . Sixty percent of respondents said they work in acute-care , 10 percent in long-term care , 20 percent in ambulatory care , and 10 percent reported working in other kinds of healthcare institutions . Thirty percent reported working in facilities with under 50 beds , while 30 percent worked in facilities with up to 499 beds , and 40 percent worked in institutions with more than 500 beds .
When asked how prepared their facilities were at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent pandemic , 20 percent of survey respondents reported being “ very unprepared ,” while 10 percent said they were unprepared , and the majority ( 50 percent ) reported being “ adequately prepared .” Just 20 percent characterized their institutions as being “ very prepared ” for this public health emergency .
In terms of areas of their institutions that took a hit from the pandemic , 50 percent of survey respondents indicated that PPE and other resources were most impacted , with 40 percent saying that all operations were affected , and 10 percent reporting that staffing was hit hard . Most importantly , 100 percent of survey respondents said their facility is better prepared in the time following the initial COVID-19 surge and are taking measures to ensure continued preparedness going forward .
On the downside , however , only 50 percent of respondents reported being able to leverage COVID-19 to improve their institution ’ s IP & C program / department overall , with the other half saying it is still operating without sufficient resourcing .
As expected , the majority ( 80 percent ) of survey respondents reported that SARS-co-V2 was the pathogen that continues to be of greatest importance in their facilities , while 20 percent said they were keeping their eyes on all pathogens of importance , lest the COVID-19 pandemic pre-empt other microbiology-related concerns .
When asked which healthcare-acquired infection ( HAI ) is most problematic in their facility , 40 percent cited surgical site infections ( SSIs ) as being a primary challenge , while 30 percent reported central line-associated bloodstream infections ( CLABSIs ) as being a significant issue , 10 percent mentioned catheter-associated urinary tract infections ( CAUTIs ), and 20 percent reported other infections .
The pandemic has sorely tested the healthcare sector , but 60 percent of survey respondents said they were “ confident ” in their institution ’ s IP & C program / department ’ s ability to prevent and control infections , while 30 percent said they were “ very confident ” and 10 percent admitted to lacking in confidence as the pandemic continues .
Looking ahead to 2021 , 50 percent of survey respondents indicated that COVID-19 was going to persist as the key IP & C issue in the new year . Commented one respondent , “ How many facilities were so focused on COVID-19 that possible overlooking of other HAI ( such as C . diff , MRSA , etc .) prevention protocols were either skipped or ignored .” Another respondent noted the importance of “ COVID recovery efforts , retraining team members on the basics because there are a lot of unorthodox practices and actions not based on science that have developed and will be hard to break .”
The challenge of having limited resources seemed to be the primary concern of 20 percent of respondents , and Clostridioides difficile infection ( CDI ) was on the minds of another 20 percent of respondents . And as one respondent noted , “ Lack of commitment by staff to observe proper sterile technique and facilities not taking opportunities and utilizing products to prevent cross-contamination , thus setting the stage for SSIs .”