ltc infection control nurses

We don't have a infection control position at my facility, but we do have a risk assessment manager. But go figure..she is non-med...oh well.

Now the one thing I know is in addition to a very lengthy IR we nurses have to fill, we also have a book that we track all falls and skin issues located in our nurses med room. Anytime there is a fall or skin issue we fill out a simple tally sheet with name, room #, what the issue was (fall, skin tear, Eccymosis, exit seeking=going out of facility..etc), and date/time. That way my risk manager knows all that has happened in a week, make sure an IR was done, and can track these issues.

Then once a week, the risk manager, our admin, and the DON get together and go over this info, and the IR's to make sure they are right. And to discuss ways to try to lower the risks.

That is about all I know about it...but I hear the tracking log we fill out is very helpful for them! (it is simple and not too much extra time either to write out). That log is also helpful for our skin issues nurse to track issues and check them once weekly on the weekends :). (we chart no matter what the issue is in the chart and a separate skin care sheet every weekend).

Hope that was helpful for you...if I hear of any other things done at my facility I will let you know..but I think that basically covers my facilities deal...

I was the infection control nurse when I was an SDC. I had the nurses on the floor fill out a form any time any one had an antibiotic ordered or a culture done. At the end of the month I would have to go through them and see if, according to the CDC guidelines, they qualified as true infections. Then off the info would go to our lab who would plug it into a graph and give us a report on a quarterly basis with numbers and kinds of infection. They listed them by unit and compared one quarter's numbers to another....fascinating stuff. We keep track of any suspected outbreaks by using the facility floor plan. If there are a bunch of cases of vomiting for example, we chart them on the plan to see where they are in the building, if the patients had the same care givers, and anything else they might have in common. Call the lab your facility uses for help. They probably even have a class or two you could attend.

I would LOVE to see a graph like that for my facility!!!!! That would be so very interesting!!!!!!!! I love that stuff! I like being a sluthe and figuring out commonalities r/t infections...it is really actually fun! Alas..I don't do it at my facility...don't think they would hire anyone in assisted living to do that...(bummer, that would be fun!).

I do catch some commonalities with certain falls though...certain caregivers that have them more than others..and report those to risk control. But that is about as far as it goes for me right now (but I am the only one that seems to catch those ).

When I have this home loan thing going full swing..and start my search for another job (oh soon please!!!!!) that may be something I will look for! :) I think I would do very well in that!!!!

Track location of the infections per your facility floor plan. Could there be a px with hydration and/or incontinence care in a particular area?

Track UTIs with catheters...is there a px with catheter care?

Track organisms....which are widespread? Which are spread by contact? ex..mrsa and location of these

Track which doctors are rx antibx...do they have a positive c/s or just order antibx

If antibx ordered prior to c/s, notify MD if c/s show no growth to possible dc antibx. to help avoid overuse of antibx. sometimes extra fluid and cranberry juice or tablets can stop "burning"

What s/s are being recorded as symptoms of UTI?

Do certain residents have repeated utis? Do they need preventative maintenance antibx?

This is a few things we have looked at thru our QI committee with UTIs. State surveyors usually want to see how you provided adequate hydration, toileting and care of catheters with utis. It's a good idea to watch cnas and nurses actually do catheter and perineal care regularly.

thank you for those that replied.. i seem to be heading in the right track from the posts im reading, and i got some good ideas as well. have a nice christmas everyone.