Need help with infection control in long term care

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I've just been given this task and am not sure where to start..any helps??:eek:

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I've just been given this task and am not sure where to start..any helps??:eek:

Sounds like an ambitious project! The Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) has a lot of good information at apic.org. For example, this article has guidelines about infection control in LTC:

http://www.apic.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PracticeGuidance/APIC-SHEA_Guideline.pdf

Good luck!

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

What exactly are your duties? Do you have any experience? Call the lab you use and speak to their Infection Control person. If you are responsible for tracking the infections in the building, you'll need to learn how to do a line listing...what to count as an infection and how to follow through. Use the knowledge of the vendors you have in your facility.

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Start off by looking to see what policies are in place and what is in your manual. Call other facilities in your chain or area and ask for help if you can.

Your lab should be able to print our basic reports of cultures etc within the last month or so and your pharmacy should be able to print out a report of who was taking what anitbiotics. See your RNAC too..they prob have a list or can pull up a list from the MDS.

If you have a staff develpment person, talk to them and don't forget housekeeping/ dietary etc to see what policies they have in place.

Try not to reinvent the wheel. Most often there are P and P in place but just not carried out.

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Thanks for all the good input. I'm reading and studying the infection control manual (I finally discovered there is one). I was told cellulitis is not an nosocomial...so much to learn.

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU, Psych, Med-surg...etc....

Make sure you are familiar with the regulation F441. There have been some additions/changes.

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Specializes in Geriactrics,Peds,ICU,public health.

Hi!

Beautiful big heart you are and big bless

Thanks

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Specializes in Acute care, Corrections, Psych, LTC.

Yes, study F441 in the SOM. It was just revamped/revised, but I found an error already: it advises use of a 1:10 hypochlorite solution but in parentheses it erroneously instructs: "9 parts bleach to 1 part water." It should read the reverse:1 part bleach to 9 parts water." I am a state surveyor and have pointed it out to my supervisors to contact CMS regarding the error/typo. Regards, and best of luck. My two cents: Best practices now dictate that not all UTIs warrant AB administration-only those that are symptomatic. The APIC website was good advice. Also, set google alerts to infection control or infection control nurse and you will get daily newsfeeds on the topic.

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