The Role of the Infection Preventionist

Crystal Heishman, MSN, RN, ONC, CIC, FAPIC

President, APIC Kentuckiana

Infection Preventionist

University of Louisville Hospital

Infection Control

• Lister, Koch, Nightingale, Semmelweis, Holmes Pasteur, Jenner• 1946: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)• 1972: Association for Practitioners in Infection Control (changed 1993-94)• 1976: Joint Commission instituted a requirement that an infection control

program must be in place for hospital accreditation• 1980s: National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System • 2005: National Health Safety Network (NHSN)• 2008: Infection Preventionist (IP)

Professional Standards Qualifications: • Nurse, Physician, Microbiologist, Public Health • General healthcare knowledge • Willingness to work hard, listen, and question Professional Accountability: • Knowledge and skills • Professional organization membership • Continuing education

The Role of the Infection Preventionist• Leader • Mentor• Subject Matter Expert • Educator • Mediator• Liaison• Collaborator • Evaluator • Customer Service

What is your primary role?

and control

Your Role: Leader

Regardless of personal perception, you ARE a leader!

• Lead by example

• Mentor/Coach

• Policy & Procedure

• Regulatory requirements

• Goal setting

• Infection Prevention Committee

Your Role: Mentor

• Assist with training of new Infection Preventionists

• Identify and assist front line staff interested in prevention efforts

• Preceptor for students

• Workgroup development

Your Role: Subject Matter Expert

• Standards • Regulations• Healthcare-associated Infection (HAI) prevention • Surveillance • Epidemiology • Data • Emergency Preparedness

Your Role: Educator

• Evidence Based Practice

• HAI prevention (transmission, hand hygiene, etc.)

• Blood-borne pathogens, infection risk

• New employee orientation

• Employees, volunteers, students, contractors

• Patients and families

• Community members

Your Role: Mediator

• IPs are in a special position to bring groups together for discussion

• Influence best practices (pet therapy, construction, patient safety, etc.)

• Provide evidence based information and recommendations

• Antimicrobial Stewardship

• Regulatory standard implementation

• Build bridges to address gaps in practice

Your Role: Liaison

• Public Health • CDC / NHSN• Regulatory bodies• Administration• Staff • Providers • Patients, visitors, and the community

Your Role: Collaborator

Relationships matter! • EVS, Emergency Preparedness, Sterile Processing, Supply Chain/Materials

Management, Engineering, Lab/Microbiology, Employee Health… • Information Technology• Human Resources, Marketing• Management and C-Suite • Public Health • Community

Your Role: Evaluator

• Infection Prevention Plan

• Annual Infection Prevention Risk Assessment

• Environment of Care and Infection Prevention rounds

• Surveillance / HAI prevention

• Outbreak investigations

• Auditing of practices

• Infection Prevention needs/problems

Your Role: Customer Service

• An IP’s customers are anyone that may require their services

• This may include: Staff, physicians, patients, families, visitors, volunteers, the community, EMS, public health, emergency preparedness coordinators…

• Service recovery through education and investigation

• The most important thing we can do is LISTEN!