[Grace]

Think of a time you or a colleague did not follow IPAC practices. Discuss the situation and potential negative outcomes for clients related to not following the appropriate IPAC practices.

(Post your answer in the discussion below)

[Grace]

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all looking forward to starting the IPAC course and are ready for more learning.

This course is asynchronous with 1 module each week.
Each week, you are required to review a module and all its contents (readings, videos, activities and the knowledge check) post in discussions and respond to at least one of your peer posts.
Instructions are provided in the module each week as to what activity is required for each module. The instructions are posted within the module/discussion post section, so make sure you access each module each week to not miss any.
There will be an assignment in the final week, and instructions will be provided as well.

You are expected to participate and complete the modules each week. The discussion post is being monitored to ensure participation and receipt of certificate.
We understand that your other commitments may prevent this for some weeks; if you miss a week, please catch up the following week in addition to that week’s content.

I look forward to all the great ideas and postings for each weekly module.

Thank you,
Grace

[Wenpeng]

I can still remember an incident in which a staff did not follow the IPAC precaution for serving a patient with a fresh wound that caused the patient had another episode of infection.

It was a busy unit and one nurse was assigned to various patients scattered around the unit. Plus there was staff shortage as well. One of the staff was assigned to a patient who had a surgery. The assigned staff was to change the wound dressing, meanwhile, the staff just helped the other patient and forget to change the gown. The staff was able to follow the sterile procedure for wound dressing change, however, there was an infection two days after noticed on the patient.

The team had meetings for the infection and figured out the unchanged gown for this patient. There was a debrief after the incident, and all the reflection signage was on the door of each patient’s room. A further education was provided to all the health team staff after that.

[Gladys]

Hi Wenpeng,
Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s a powerful reminder of how even small mistakes, can have serious consequences for our patients. I can imagine how challenging it must have been for the staff, trying to juggle so many responsibilities with a shortage of hands.
I like the idea of adding reflection signage to patient doors, it’s such a simple but effective way to keep infection control at the forefront of everyone’s mind. It’s also reassuring to hear that the team came together to reflect on the situation and prioritize education to prevent similar issues in the future.
Your story is a good reminder for all of us that adhering to IPAC practices is crucial, especially when dealing with vulnerable patients like those with fresh surgical wounds. Thanks again for sharing

[Gladys]

During my recent field placement at a long-term care home, I witnessed an incident that reminded me just how important it is to follow infection prevention and control (IPAC) practices. A colleague went into the room of a symptomatic resident under droplet and contact precautions without wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). The resident had tested negative on a rapid COVID-19 test but was still waiting for confirmatory results. Unfortunately, the staff member forgot to wear an N95 mask and eye protection before entering.
When the colleague realized the mistake, he quickly left the room, reported the incident to the charge nurse, and thoroughly sanitized his hands. After putting on the correct PPE, he returned to provide the necessary care. The incident was reported, and the team reviewed infection control protocols to ensure everyone stayed on the same page.
This situation could have had serious consequences. COVID-19 spreads so easily, and this exposure could have put staff and residents at risk. In a long-term care home, where many residents are elderly or have underlying health issues, an outbreak could lead to severe illness or worse. It would also add pressure to an already stretched team and potentially shake the trust families have in the care we provide.
What happened that day was a powerful reminder of how crucial it is to stay vigilant about following proper precautions, especially in environments where the stakes are so high. It was also a learning moment for everyone involved, reinforcing the importance of using PPE correctly and taking responsibility to protect ourselves and those we care for.

[Kimi]

Hello Gladys,
Thank you for sharing the story. I agreed that using PPE is protecting us and patients. I can relate that sometimes on the busy day in hospital, staff tried to deliver the food tray without wearing any PPE in droplet room. People may think few second of entering would not cause any issue. But this small action could actually lead to severe consequent as not following the proper precautions. The droplet pathogen can still remain in the air and land on the staff even with few second of entering the room. Then the spread could start from there. It is important to follow IPAC policy and wear PPE when entering the isolation room.

[Kimi]

An example was a nurse cared for a patient with C.diff. The nurse had PPE on when performing care, but neglected to wash hands after removing the PPE and immediately moved to care for next patient who were calling for help. The potential negative outcomes would be the next patient could develop C.diff as the nurse may carry the pathogen. This is considered as healthcare associated infection, which can cause longer hospital stays and even mortality in severe cases. Moreover, this nurse could spread the C.diff to the next patient, increasing the risk of infection for vulnerable individuals, especially patients with chronic conditions and immunocompromised disease. In order to reduce or avoid such situations, it is mandatory for nurses to attend regular training and education on the importance of hand hygiene and maintain environment and equipments disinfected frequency. PPE should be used according to infection control policy.

[Author]

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