such as a pandemic . There were rules for the community , and then what hospitals implemented confused both the community and the healthcare world due to the differences between the two approaches . How can we improve the messaging around interventions and protocols ?”
When the next outbreak or crisis hits , a well-funded , adequately resourced program has a better chance to weathering the storm . What can make or break a program is whether an IP knows how to make a successful business case for infection prevention and control , which is the shortest path to securing the necessary wherewithal provided by healthcare institution leadership .
“ Infection prevention successes will depend largely on strong leadership support ,” write Garcia , et al . ( 2022 ). “ A recent analysis of management methods identified three practices as important facilitators in the prevention of HAIs : First involves engagement of executive staff . Establishment of IP & C goals by executive leadership emphasizes an organizational priority among managers and frontline staff and enables open communication with persons who are empowered to make change . Second addresses information sharing . Establishment of an organization-wide system to relay , display , and discuss relevant infection data with frontline staff is an important activity . Third involves management coaching . The coaching activities identified as most needed involve providing staff with feedback on how to perform clinical care processes correctly and re-educating staff on best practices for IP & C . The future success of IP programs will therefore lay in identifying and implementing cutting-edge program modifications and best practices while supported by targeted executive actions .”
An increasing number of IPs have established good relationships with members of their institution ’ s C-suite , paving the way for more input as to how resources are distributed .
“ We must have a seat at the table at all times , and the hospital or healthcare system C-suite must acknowledge us ,” Pettis says . “ Many of my colleagues around the country have been given that seat , but not all of them have , and particularly IPs like in rural areas and underserved areas are out there all by themselves . They don ’ t have an epidemiologist to fight for them . APIC just introduced a toolkit for isolated IPs , recognizing that we ’ re not all in academic teaching centers . We must gather them closer so that they know where the resources are , they know that they can work with those of us who have been around for a while .”
She continues , “ Working with the C-suite is critical , obviously , because they hold the purse strings . We must become adept at building a business case for our programs . We must get better at networking with our partners In our institutions , such as those in the finance department . You ’ ve got the data , but are you working with them to help you build that business case ? We must have the data . We must have the research to make that business case . Hospitals are hurting after the pandemic , and we ’ re all up against so much , but it ’ s the most exciting job there is in healthcare .” Steed says it ’ s time for IPs to come into their own . “ There is a need for IPs to understand that they are leaders . The APIC competency model for infection preventionists was a big accomplishment in articulating what IPs at the novice , intermediate and advanced levels should know . When I was a young IP , I had to figure out pretty quickly that I ’ m not going to get anything done unless I can ensure a return on investment ,
The new attitude of many healthcare leaders is a huge benefit for our profession , but we must do a better job of engaging with them and help to influence them as to what is considered to be best practices . That ’ s happening , but we need to continually strengthen the influence of IPs in the healthcare leadership world . “
create a business plan , and speak with confidence . That requires developing relationships with other leaders ; our profession is not just about surveillance . You can ’ t just stay in your office and crunch the numbers ; to truly be effective , you ’ ve got to be on the front line with the staff , being the influencer . I think that that ’ s a huge priority for one of our Strategic Plan Initiatives of elevating infection preventionists as advocates , leaders , and experts . That ’ s been key forever , but it ’ s even more so now .”
Steed continues , “ Another thing that I think helped us , despite the stress it caused , is the fact that infection prevention is in the spotlight more than ever because of the pandemic . We were in the spotlight before COVID because of value-based purchasing and because everything follows the money , and so if we don ’ t do well , we get penalized . It makes us focus on effective prevention and control , and makes healthcare leadership understand our resources needs , and elevates and enhances our processes and the way we care for patients . The new attitude of many healthcare leaders is a huge benefit for our profession , but we must do a better job of engaging with them and help to influence them as to what is considered to be best practices . That ’ s happening , but we need to continually strengthen the influence of IPs in the healthcare leadership world . I want all IPs to be able to walk into the corporate White House , as I call it , and be able to sit down with the CEO , the CNO , the CFO , and be able to have a professional conversation and not be afraid to do that . IPs must be confident about expressing their opinions about what their organizations need to do , what it ’ s going to cost , and the ROI that will be achieved .”
The future is yet to be written , and IPs have an opportunity to be architects of their profession for the next 50 years of service .
“ How we come out of this pandemic , which in many ways often feels like a new abnormal , but it will normalize eventually ,” Pettis says . “ How long it will take requires a crystal ball , but I think we ’ ve got a lot of the right Initiatives in place to get us where we need to go .” The future hinges on several more key issues . “ A critical area is research ,” Pettis emphasizes . “ Infection prevention has been a bit weak on the research end of what we do . We ’ ve relied on other disciplines for research more than we should , and so that will that go along with our mission to advance the science and the practice of infection prevention . The concept of implementation science is in our wheelhouse , and nobody else does that as well as infection prevention does . I do think we have many questions from a research standpoint that other disciplines ’ research doesn ’ t always answer for us . We must conduct our own research to do that , we ’ re strengthening our in-house research ability .”
www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • june 2022
23