from the editor
Working Smarter , Not Harder , Involves Shifting Priorities in the Pandemic
As
COVID-related burnout continues , I wanted to draw attention to a new tool from APIC , the IPC Acuity Scale , designed to organize infection prevention and control tasks into categories that should remain high priority , as well as those that can be delegated to trained non-IP staff or set aside altogether during times of overwork , such as during the pandemic .
“ APIC is concerned that the COVID-19 Omicron surge is overloading infection preventionists ( IPs ) such that administrative tasks are interfering with their ability to perform critical patient safety and infection surveillance work inside our nation ’ s healthcare facilities ,” says APIC president Linda Dickey , RN , MPH , CIC , FAPIC . “ IPs are the only healthcare professionals with specialized expertise in spotting clusters of infections and integrating evidence-based strategies to limit their spread . Given the current Omicron surge , APIC is concerned that IPs are unable to perform the work that only they can do that optimizes safety for healthcare organizations . If our nation ’ s IPs are bogged down with data entry and other administrative work , they are less able to protect patients and staff from COVID transmission or the spread of drug-resistant organisms . Efforts to investigate clusters of infections or conduct surveillance for healthcare-associated infections may fall short amid the overwhelming amount of paperwork necessitated by the pandemic .”
Dickey continues , “ The current IP workload , combined with a shortage of IPs , requires healthcare leaders to work with their IPs and carefully examine where they should focus their efforts . APIC calls on healthcare leaders to provide support so that IPs can focus on their critical patient safety work .”
Infection Prevention and Control ( IPC ) Acuity Scale for Crisis Situations
EMPHASIZE : Make high priority
• Updating and providing education / support for personal protective equipment ( PPE ) donning / doffing practices and supporting changes in practices as new guidelines emerge
• Surveillance activities for high-risk , high-impact healthcare-associated infections ( HAIs )
• Investigating clusters / urgent events ( floods , foodborne outbreaks , etc .), providing response guidance and reporting ( COVID and non-COVID )
• Attending COVID related operations / incident command / planning meetings and providing IPC input on COVID-related protocols
• Rounding to support staff , provide consultation , assess correct isolation precautions , etc .
• Patient-to-patient and employee-to-patient contact tracing
• Vetting new PPE and low-level disinfection products ( especially when supply chain issues emerge )
• Construction design input for high-priority projects that cannot be delayed
• Regulatory support during surveys , unannounced inspections
LESSEN EMPHASIS : Consider delegating to trained non-IP staff
• Rounding on utilization of PPE and low-level disinfection practices
• Vaccine clinic staffing
• Administrative and / or data analysis tasks related to IPC surveillance ( consider outsourcing surveillance with IP validation or having the IP per-form the surveillance and utilize data analysts to build charts , graphs , etc .)
• Data entry for reportable conditions
• PPE counts
DECREASE EMPHASIS : Consider setting aside during crisis
• Attendance at committee meetings unrelated to emergency , unless deemed critical
• Employee-to-employee contact tracing
• Performance improvement teams with infection prevention leadership unrelated to emergency , unless deemed critical
• Antimicrobial stewardship responsibilities specific to infection prevention
• Observational audits
• Surveillance activities for lower-risk , lower-impact healthcare-associated infections ( HAIs )
• Participating in non-infection prevention related environment of care ( EOC ) rounds , routine policy and procedure review
Until next month , bust those bugs ! Kelly M . Pyrek Editor & Publisher kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine . com healthcarehygienemagazine
A . G . Hettinger , CPA president & CFO
Patti Valdez art director
J . Christine Phillips customer service manager
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