Mrs. Suzie Hammouche1
1GAMA Healthcare Australia Pty Ltd, Australia
Biography:
Suzie Hammouche has been in the industry side of Infection Prevention for over 12 years. Having worked through regulatory and commercial teams whilst completing her undergraduate and MBA, Suzie is passionate about authentic leadership, change and influence, and strategic development. Having completed the Foundations of Infection Prevention and Control through ACIPC, Suzie is driven to support reducing healthcare-associated infections through effective products, education, and national policy. Suzie is also the founding Chair of the Infection Prevention Network, a national body representing industry-leading infection prevention companies guided by researchers, clinicians, and experts.
Abstract:
Background
Change in established healthcare practice is often difficult to achieve, especially when instigated by a small team. Infection Prevention Practitioners are responsible for leading significant interventions and change within their organisations and therefore leadership skills are required. Leadership theory and research on transformational leadership exists but is not often shared or developed in a way that is bespoke to IPC.
Method
Transformational leadership focuses on facilitating organisational collaboration to help drive a vision or intervention forward. Combining traditional management theory with healthcare application, this presentation will traverse how this can be applied to IPC, Healthcare or Residential Aged Care settings.
A literature review on transformational leadership theory in healthcare settings will be discussed and followed by examples and case studies of the most successful leaders. Breaking down the basic principles of Transformational Leadership theory by using examples in practice, the focus will shift to how to practically apply these in one’s own setting. This presentation will also briefly address alternative styles of leadership and in what situations they may be required.
Conclusion
Infection Prevention professionals are given access to reasonable opportunities to learn the technical skills required to perform their roles, however IPC teams are required to lead change, adoption and intervention strategies that are reliant on human factors and behavioural change. Leadership skills are therefore required in order to maximise the effect of interventions. More focus needs to be given to the softer skills to support IPC Practitioners be effective leaders to truly advance Infection Prevention and Control.