Infection prevention and control is one responsibility skilled nursing facilities can better manage when leadership takes a proactive stance. Here are some key points: - Understand your staff’s needs. Purchase effective cleaners and disinfectants that can be employed easily and efficiently. Choose easy-to-use products with a tolerable odor and low toxicity to kill a broad range of organisms in a short time. Make these products available at the point of care (i.e., available to wipe down mechanical lifts after each use) so staff have the tools at hand to take an active part in infection prevention and control.
- Ask the vendor of your cleaning/disinfecting products to support your staff with training and monitoring of cleaning equipment, cleaning practices and dispensing systems.
- Common products may not always be the best option. Make sure your staff understands when other cleaner/disinfectants are more appropriate and which products are dangerous when mixed together.
- Promote adherence to manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFUs) regarding contact time.
- Provide ongoing training on the types of precautions, especially the difference between Enhanced Barrier Precautions and other types such as Contact and Droplet Precautions.
- Conduct routine audits to ensure compliance with Precautions and proper donning or doffing of PPE.
- Identify and educate infection prevention champions among frontline staff to promote an all-hands-on-deck approach to identifying infection control compliance issues.
Tips for Proactive Leadership: - Training: Keeping a skilled nursing facility clean and safe requires common sense and valid education. Improve your staff’s compliance by providing them with evidence-based training that explains the logic behind proper infection prevention and control practices.
- Mock Survey: Protect your facility by scheduling a Mock Survey! The fixed, modest cost is a brilliant investment and should be a high-priority in your facility’s budget. Not convinced? Consider the average CMP fines, cost of a Directed Plan of Correction and the negative impact on your 5-Star rating. Find your compliance issues and correct them before your next survey. Let our Coretactics’ experts identify opportunities for improvement and help your facility resolve any issues before your next survey.
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