[Grace]

Reflection question: This reading discusses low compliance with IPAC practices by health care providers. Have you always followed IPAC practices in your workplace? What would you recommend at your current or a former workplace to ensure or increase compliance with IPAC practices?

[Arlene]

Have you always followed IPAC practices in your workplace?

Like most- if not all – healthcare workers, I have “missed” IPAC practices at least once in my practice for several reasons and due to many factors.

What would you recommend at your current or a former workplace to ensure or increase compliance with IPAC practices?

– Consider staff input regarding selection of products (ABHR, PPE) to increase comfort (skin breakdown with gloves, risk for skin irritation with mask use, impaired skin integrity with frequency of ABHR)
– Staff input regarding design and improvement of hospitals and ward layout (Limited working space; placement of sanitizer/gloves/PPE)
– Safer nurse-patient ratios
– Implementation of effective zero-tolerance violence policies
– Staff input regarding IPAC policies customized to specialized patient care areas (IDEA Framework).

[Carla-Jane]

This is a good recommendation. If implemented it can reduce break in IPAC compliance.

[Carla-Jane]

I would consider myself a person who is still developing and still applying IPAC principles in my practice, and there are times where i have missed it due to one factor or the other.

Based off what i have learnt from this module i would recommend to my workplace the following strategies:
1. Ongoing and continuous education and training: Regular IPAC refreshers, simulations, and competency reviews help keep best practices top of mind.
Using real-case examples of outbreaks or adverse outcomes can reinforce why compliance matters.
2. Visual reminder and cues: Clear signage, posters near hand hygiene stations, and reminders at the point of care support consistent behavior.
3. Supportive workplace culture
4. Accessibility to adequate resources.

[Mujidat]

I really appreciate your honesty in recognizing that IPAC practice is an ongoing learning process. Acknowledging missed opportunities due to various factors shows self-awareness and a willingness to improve, which is essential in healthcare. I also agree with your recommendations, especially the emphasis on ongoing education and real-life case examples, as these can make the consequences of non-compliance more tangible and meaningful. Your point about visual reminders and accessible resources is important as well, since even knowledgeable staff may struggle to comply if supplies or cues are not readily available.

[Jasvir]

I appreciate your honesty Carla, about the ongoing development of IPAC practices, because I think many of us face the same challenges in busy clinical environments. I really like your point about ongoing education and using real case examples, since those situations make the impact of non-compliance more real. I also agree that visual reminders and easy access to supplies make it much easier to consistently follow IPAC practices. Your ideas show how teamwork and workplace support can really improve compliance overall.

[Mujidat]

Have you always followed IPAC practices in your workplace?
I make a consistent effort to follow IPAC practices in my workplace, but I recognize that there have been situations where full compliance required extra awareness, especially during busy shifts or time-pressured situations. While IPAC guidelines are well known, factors such as workload, staffing levels, and interruptions can sometimes increase the risk of missed hand hygiene moments or rushed PPE use.

What would you recommend at your current or a former workplace to ensure or increase compliance with IPAC practices?
To ensure and increase compliance with IPAC practices, I would recommend a combination of education, accessibility, and supportive workplace culture. Regular refresher training and updates would help reinforce the importance of IPAC and keep staff informed of current guidelines. Making supplies such as alcohol-based hand rub, PPE, and cleaning materials readily available at the point of care would reduce barriers to proper practice.

[Jasvir]

As a novice nurse, I consistently follow IPAC practices, but everyone can admit that in busy clinical settings, compliance can sometimes slip due to workload, time pressure, or workflow interruptions. This module reading was a good reminder that even small lapses can increase the risk of infection for patients and staff.

Recommendations:
To improve compliance, I think workplaces should ensure easy access to PPE and hand hygiene supplies, regular reminders and education, and encourage staff to support each other without hesitation when something is missed. Creating a culture where reminders are seen as teamwork rather than criticism can really help maintain consistent IPAC practices.

[Adetola]

I really appreciate your honesty and insight. It’s true that as healthcare workers we understand the importance of IPAC practices, but in real-setting clinical environments it can be easy for small steps to be missed when priorities shift quickly. Acknowledging that reality doesn’t mean we don’t care; it highlights how important supportive systems and teamwork are in maintaining safe practice.

I also like your focus on accessibility and reminders. Having PPE and hand hygiene supplies within reach makes a big difference, especially during busy moments. Your point about creating a culture where colleagues can remind each other without feeling criticized is especially important. In long-term care and other settings, teamwork and respectful reminders help keep everyone accountable while protecting residents, patients, and staff.

Overall, your reflection shows a strong commitment to patient safety and professional responsibility. When reminders are framed as teamwork rather than fault-finding, it helps build trust and promotes consistent IPAC compliance.

[Adetola]

Working in long-term care, I can honestly say that following IPAC (Infection Prevention and Control) practices 100% of the time can be challenging, especially during busy shifts. While I always aim to follow proper hand hygiene, PPE use, and cleaning protocols, there have been moments when workload pressures, staffing shortages, or emergencies made it harder to be fully compliant. For example, when I had to respond quickly to a resident fall or urgent call bell, I had unintentionally delayed hand hygiene or proper PPE removal. These situations highlight how real-world demands can affect adherence, even when staff understand the importance of IPAC practices.

To improve compliance in a long-term care setting, I would recommend several strategies. First, ensuring easy access to hand hygiene stations, PPE supplies, and cleaning products is essential. When supplies are conveniently located, staff are more likely to use them consistently. Second, ongoing education and refresher training help reinforce why IPAC practices are critical, especially for preventing outbreaks such as influenza, norovirus, and COVID-19 among vulnerable residents. Visual reminders like posters and signage near sinks and resident rooms can also prompt proper hand hygiene and PPE use.

Conducting regular audits with constructive feedback can also help identify gaps and improve performance. Also, maintaining adequate staffing levels reduces rushed care and allows staff the time needed to follow proper infection control procedures.

[Mebo]

While my workplace has been adhering to IPAC practices, I believe this has not been done perfectly. Indeed, the management has set policies on hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), However, we could not maintain consistent compliance due to certain challenges. These challenges include high workload, time constraints, staff shortages, and complacency. Certain instances had health care providers rely on routine habits as opposed to the strict adherence to established IPAC protocols.
I believe that several strategies can be recommended to ensure that we effectively comply with IPAC practices in my current workplace. I would recommend that my workplace implements regular mandatory training and refresher sessions to reinforce the importance of IPAC and update staff on best practices. The second recommendation is to ensure that the leadership models are effective to correct IPAC behaviors such as having supervisors influence staff compliance. The third recommendation is to ensure that the management avails enough supplies of infection control resources such as hand sanitizers, gloves, masks, and gowns. This is because unavailability of such material would discourage adherence. The last recommendation that I would suggest is to reinforce the culture of accountability and safety by incorporating routine audits, feedback, and non-punitive reporting systems.

[Author]

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