to Ann Marie Pettis , RN , BSN , CIC , FAPIC , president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology ( APIC ) and director of infection prevention for University of Rochester Medicine in Rochester , N . Y .
“ One size won ’ t fit all , so each facility , each community , and each state must conduct risk assessments ,” Pettis says . “ It ’ s not too early to begin these assessments , as we have already seen healthcare-associated infections ( HAIs ) increasing due to multiple , competing priorities during the pandemic . We need to get our eyes back on that ball right away . We have not figured out all of the lessons learned yet , obviously , because we are still learning them , but one of the most significant that comes to mind immediately is the tragedy in long-term care that must be addressed .”
Pettis continues , “ Even before the pandemic , that was one of APIC ’ s priorities . Several years ago we had set as one of our objectives to develop a task force to conduct a gap- and practice-analysis of long-term care . We have that group in place and they have been at work , so I think that will be very instructive . That said , we know some things about long-term facility care needs already . We know that the resources must be earmarked for long-term care , but they haven ’ t been , so that entire resource infrastructure must be shored up . Also , we are advising legislators and regulators regarding basic infection prevention practices that should be implemented in nursing homes and making the recommendation that at a minimum , there should be one full-time IP on the premises in each facility . Historically , the person who is assigned to infection prevention typically wears three or four hats and it ’ s often a matter of squeezing in as much time on infection prevention as they can . That must change . CMS had supposedly put into place some plans to standardize some of these elements , but because of the pandemic , it has not been made official yet .”
Pettis emphasizes the importance of IPs tending to their own professional development needs . “ APIC is making sure that IPs across the board are certified , whether they work in acute-care or long-term care , another initiative we have been working on since before the pandemic .”
Another imperative that APIC is recommending , Pettis says , is ensuring that healthcare facilities create and implement a surveillance plan with which to monitor their infections . “ We go even further to say that there should be mandatory reporting in long-term care facilities just as there is mandatory reporting in acute-care institutions .”
Public health infrastructure is another arena in which IPs can play a key role as society slowly emerges from the pandemic .
“ You would have thought and hoped that we would have learned this lesson from our Canadian neighbors during the first SARS outbreak ,” Pettis remarks , explaining that deficits in public health infrastructure allowed the first SARS outbreak to gain a significant stronghold there . “ Our neighbors to the north learned a very difficult lesson that their public health infrastructure was not robust enough . Of course , SARS-CoV-2 made the first SARS outbreak look like a picnic , but we really did not learn very much from that pandemic overall , either . It comes down to having adequate resources , and so we all must advocate for change to ensure we are prepared for the next event . In the past our approach has been first comes the crisis , then you move into complacency , and then you are back to crisis , and we can ’ t let that happen again . I think there ’ s finally more of an appetite , as a society , to not let that happen . I don ’ t think people are going to forget the lessons that we have learned and are still learning , and hopefully when this is done , we emerge better and stronger because of it .”
Shoring up the healthcare workforce is a significant element of rebuilding for the future . As the AHA ’ s 2021 Environmental Scan notes , “ Hospitals and health systems need compassionate , skilled and dedicated professionals to fulfill the core mission of caring for people . The pandemic has exacerbated the challenges already facing the healthcare workforce , including shortages and burnout .” The AHA says that what is needed are “ structural changes , resources for individuals and capacity-building measures to ensure a strong , resilient and diverse workforce for today ’ s transformative workplace and tomorrow ’ s healthcare delivery .”
Regarding the nursing workforce , the AHA ’ s 2021 Environmental Scan notes that 86 percent of Baby Boomers plan to retire in the next five years , 66 percent worry that their jobs are affecting their health , and 41 percent say they were victims of bullying , incivility or other forms of workplace violence .
“ As we emerge from the pandemic , I think about what burnout is doing to our
APIC Creates National Infection Prevention Academic Pathway to Accelerate Careers of New Infection Preventionists
T he Association for Professionals in
Infection Control and Epidemiology ( APIC ) is creating an infection prevention and control curriculum for colleges and universities . APIC ’ s IP Academic Pathway marks the first national effort to link undergraduate and graduate programs to the field of infection prevention and control , ultimately leading to certification in infection prevention and control .
“ The pandemic has brought to light the tremendous need for trained infection preventionists in our nation ’ s healthcare facilities ,” says Devin Jopp , EdD , MS , CEO of APIC . “ While APIC has a robust competency model and other resources to support professionals already practicing in the field , a clear pathway into infection prevention and control careers does not currently exist for college and university students . Through IP Academic Pathway , APIC plans to create an intentional track for infection prevention certification and degree programs . This will help not only the healthcare field , but also industries like entertainment , hospitality , and travel , which are increasingly hiring infection preventionists .”
An APIC task force will develop the IP Academic Pathway core concepts , which will detail competencies needed to work successfully in infection prevention and control as outlined by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology ( CBIC ). Once developed , the curriculum can be integrated into a higher education institution ’ s course of study through their undergraduate , graduate , and continuing education programs .
“ Creating the IP Academic Pathway is a national imperative ,” says Jopp . “ As the leading organization in infection prevention and control , APIC is uniquely positioned to lead this initiative . APIC will be soliciting input from both the infection prevention and higher education communities and seeking university partners that are willing to help design and pilot the new program .”
Learn more at apic . org /
IPAcademicPathway .