Ms Tina Grasso1, Ms Samantha Butenko1, Ms Claire Dowling1, Karen McDonald1
1SA Health, Adelaide, Australia
A further key aim was to upskill staff from multiple health service providers to rapidly build capacity via a new COVID-19 infection control link nurse program (CICLN).
Method: Following a needs assessment, contextually appropriate and timely IP&C education resources were developed (e.g. lesson plans, PowerPoints), for face-to-face or virtual model delivery to clinical and non-clinical stakeholders. Topics included introduction to IP&C, PPE use, risk assessment, zone identification and Particulate Filter Respirator (PFR) use.
The implementation and method of delivery (e.g. face to face or virtual) was “nimble” and based upon a risk assessment. This included consideration of community transmission or outbreak situation within a facility.
Additionally, capacity building within health and residential care facilities occurred via the CICLN education program, consisting of an initial 5 day program followed by quarterly update days.
Results: Between January 2020 and May 2022, over 8600 individuals, including 104 CICLNs were provided with “nimble and on demand” IP&C education.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic provided a rare opportunity to build infection control knowledge and capacity across healthcare and non-healthcare settings within South Australia.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge in demand for Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) education. This education needed to be provided to existing stakeholders as well as those who traditionally had had very little interface with IP&C and PPE for an infectious disease or pandemic, e.g. non-healthcare staff working in environments with high risk for COVID-19 transmission (i.e. supervised quarantine facilities, medi-hotels, airports, care facilities).
Biography: Tina is an experienced registered nurse with a passion for nursing clinical education and infection prevention and control. COVID-19 presented her with the unique opportunity (and challenges) to combine these passions and to develop and provide infection prevention and control education programs to a wide variety of workforce groups, settings and situations.
Karen McDonald obtained her credentialled ICP -primary status in August 2022 and has worked for SA Health’s CDCB COVID Operations as an Infection Control Nurse Consultant since August 2021. She has held several Infection control roles throughout her 22 years working as a Registered Nurse and completed the Foundations of IPC course through ACIPC in 2021. Karen has worked in a variety of specialities, including acute care, general practice, blood donation services and clinical worker health. She also holds tertiary qualifications in Health Science and is undertaking postgraduate study towards obtaining a Master’s in Public Health and Tropical Medicine