The practice team
Continued education and competency checking of all members of the practice team is crucial for effective infection prevention and control.
Education enables staff to understand the various infectious agents, their modes of transmission, appropriate work practices for infection prevention and control, and what personal protection is required and when to use it.
It is important that staff have a competency checking program relevant to their duty, along with opportunities to participate in hands on training, especially for correct fitting, safe application and removal of PPE. All staff need to know how to identify, respond to and report risks in the event of an accident or incident.
The RACGP’s Infection prevention and control standards (IPC Guidelines) contain guidance on recording the education of practice team members and evaluating their competency.
The RACGP has recently published a webinar and FAQ document related which give an overview of the updated IPC Guidelines and answer many commonly asked questions.
There are many courses available for nurses seeking to improve their skills in infection prevention and control, including postgraduate university courses, courses available at the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control, and elearning modules via the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The Sterilising Research Advisory Council of Australia also has a list of sterilising courses available in Australia.