Being prepared and responding quickly to outbreaks is critical for healthcare settings. When periods of increased incidence of infections / confirmed outbreaks are apparent, appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures should be initiated rapidly. A quick response is key to prevent further transmission. IPC training and education is a critical part of this preparedness and, also the response. We need to go back to the basics of IPC, and educate on pertinent topics such as hand hygiene and glove use. We also need to educate on the areas we think everyone knows, when in reality, this is not the case. By actively engaging in training throughout the year, healthcare staff will already be somewhat prepared for future outbreaks. However, many times staff will need refresher training on specific topics. Here are 5 ways SureWash training can help your facility prepare and respond to future outbreaks.
1. Access to training 365 days a year
Continuous, repeated IPC and hand hygiene training is hard to deliver at scale through classroom setting learning. It is inconvenient to gather staff together, taking them away from their patients on multiple occasions throughout the year. However, studies have shown that the effectiveness of hand hygiene training is dependent on the number of times training is provided. Healthcare is 24/7, so why not make training available day and night? By letting technology support your IPC team, this is possible. As a result, staff will never be behind on their training and you can be confident that staff are prepared for a future outbreak.
2. Rapid rollout of training
Having the ability to rapidly roll out training when needed enables you to train new staff quickly, but to also have a quick response to an outbreak. As was seen during Covid-19, facilities didn’t have the resources to both train and assess staff. Also, often times, nursing students and new staff need to be brought on board. SureWash can be available, ready, and waiting to train everyone who enters your facility. This includes practical hand hygiene training, assessments, and education on other critical IPC topics.
3. Self-directed learning
As SureWash training can be rapidly rolled out, it’s important that the technology supports self-directed learning. Therefore, staff can participate in learning on their own, in their own time. This is also ideal for socially distanced learning. SureWash makes this possible as the trainer offers real-time feedback to users, just like in-person training. SureWash can be placed on a ward/unit to encourage and remind staff to complete their training. Feedback and reminders are a critical component of the multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy. As a result, SureWash ensures everyone is trained to the highest standard by delivering objective training and assessment.
4. Lesson & Quiz Functionality
Depending on the type of outbreak, training on specific topics may need to be provided. The SureWash customisable lesson and quiz function enables a facility to deliver education on a topic pertinent to them, at critical times. Therefore, knowledge can be refreshed when needed and gaps in learning can be addressed easily and efficiently. Facilities can choose from SureWash’s content bank, or they can upload their own. Custom lessons and/or quizzes allow for fresh content each time the SureWash unit rotates through an area. Subsequently, this IPC training is quick and effective for optimum convenience in an outbreak situation.
5. Automated Reporting
A huge value add to any training and education is reporting. Therefore, all SureWash training data is easily accessible on SureWash.Net, a cloud-based reporting suite. This means you don’t have to perform direct observations during training which can be inconvenient, especially when an outbreak occurs. The reporting suite is also highly beneficial to identify your assessed and unassessed members of staff. With a click of a button, you can see who has completed their hand hygiene training and to what standard. The high-level analytics available to you offer a complete solution for both internal and external inspections.
Implementing quality IPC training is the cornerstone for preparing for outbreaks within the healthcare setting. By providing repeated training, staff will already be well prepared. However, having the resources that enable you to deliver training rapidly on critical topics could have an incremental impact on your response to prevent further transmission. SureWash is a one-stop solution for your IPC team. The combination of assessment-based hand hygiene training, IPC education and automated reporting allows you to prepare for any future outbreaks that may occur in your facility.
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