Mrs. Ning An1, Gareth Hockey1
1Prince Of Wales Hospital Sydney, Sydney Eye Hospital
Biography:
In my 34 years of nursing I have circulated in difference areas including medical, surgical, and orthopaedic and paediatric wards. Through these rotations, I obtained knowledge and advanced nursing skills in a variety of nursing areas which I have been able to provide excellent nursing care in Infection Prevention and Control/ Staff Health Department at Fremantle Hospital & Fiona Stanley Hospital in Western Australia and Balmain Hospital, Bankstown/ Lidcome Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital in New South Wales.
Abstract:
Outbreaks of seasonal diseases like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are already putting pressure on the overburdened healthcare settings. Surges of these illnesses collide with large COVID wave over the winter month and pose significant risks in healthcare settings. The traditional education methods often fall short of addressing the complexities of infection control in diverse healthcare settings. Effective and comprehensive multimodal infection prevention education strategies can enhance the learning experience and improve infection prevention practices to mitigate these risks.
A systematic review of the literature was conducted, focusing on studies that implemented multimodal educational interventions to prevent respiratory infections. The interventions included scenario-based learning, real case studies integrated into seasonal education sessions before flu seasons, intensive education weeks dedicated to the management of respiratory virus infections including influenza and COVID-19 for each ward using six-minute education tools, and Influenza Awareness Month along with Flu Vaccination program, ongoing monthly education sessions for link nurses and orientation programs. In Weekly IPC Matters Newsletter was provided via email to all staff, including the summary of NSW Respiratory Report and Infection Prevention weekly focus. Additionally, a recognition program provided weekly feedback on good practices and achievements in IPC Matters and awards & certificates were provided to Flu Champions.
The low rate of respiratory viruses outbreak including COVID-19 and Influenza and with positive feedback from staff at two facilities demonstrates the effectiveness of multimodal infection prevention education strategies.