Robert Robinson1
1Maitland Hospital, Metford Rd, Metford, NSW, 2323, robert.robinson@health.nsw.gov.au
Education and training are key elements undertaken by the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) service. This can involve face to face presentations or practical training in large or small groups, mandatory education, and other self-directed learning such as the NSW Health Clinical Excellence Commission or Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care online modules.
The IPC service offers education and training for all staff working in the organisation. However, the requirements for specific groups such as cleaners (environmental cleaning / waste management principles) or nursing staff (aseptic technique practices) varies, and at times dependent on expectations from the organisation or the IPC service.
When COVID arrived, the need for education and training dramatically increased especially for donning and doffing of personal protective equipment. This resulted in more pressure on the IPC service who were already planning for and managing potential COVID risks within their organisation.
Did COVID change the way we provide education and training to staff? To a point yes. The IPC principles remained the same, but the delivery had to change to accommodate other ways to support staff.
I will be discussing the different ways we provided education and training especially during COVID in the previous Local Health District where I had worked. This also included support given to the Residential Aged Care sector. These changes certainly highlight how the IPC service needs to adapt the way we deliver education and training.