Kelley Knapek Consulting Services

As we go into respiratory season, we will be using more and more personal protective equipment in healthcare: masks, gowns, gloves, and respirators. In all your time wearing PPE, have you ever thought about how well your PPE protects you and other people wearing it? A recent article by ECRI highlighted how this can be a real concern in healthcare. We know that not all PPE is created equal. Gowns and masks have different ratings based on things like their resistance to fluid, filtration, and more. As an infection preventionist, it is important to know what PPE your healthcare facility is using for what tasks. Ensuring that your PPE adequately protects the wearer allows healthcare workers to safely provide care without getting sick themselves or transmitting infections between patients. So what can you as an infection preventionist do? 1. Know what PPE your healthcare facility carries. See what you order and then check what level of protection that it provides. 2. Know how PPE is being used at your healthcare facility. Does the level of protection align with how it is being used? 3. Work with healthcare workers to make sure that they know how to select the right PPE, when to use it, and how to use it correctly. Good PPE can keep healthcare workers safe this respiratory season, and all the time. #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #infection #personalprotectiveequipment #ppe #healthcare #safety #respiratoryseason #fluseason https://lnkd.in/gjMEJW8g

With all the excitement of International Infection Prevention Week, I missed a shout out for Sterile Processing Week! It is no coincidence that these two professions share a celebratory week, because the work that we?do is incredibly intertwined. ?Sterile processing is a complex and detail oriented job that embodies infection prevention practices every step of the way. While this department may be hidden from view, their work is crucial to keeping surgeries and procedures running safely. ? ? As infection preventionists, we can support and elevate our partners in sterile processing. Know what is happening in SPD by shadowing technicians and keeping up with the data. Seek to learn and understand the processes and work flow. Use your platform as an infection prevention leader to advocate for the needs of SPD, including staffing, technologies, and recognition. SPD and IP go together like chemical indicators and peel packs!? ? #sterileprocessingweek #sterileprocessing #IIPW?#infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #infection #healthcare?

Wishing everyone a happy International Infection Prevention Week! Infection preventionists are everywhere in healthcare and beyond. We do the work to keep patients safe from infections everyday. This week we celebrate this work--the patients who didn't have to stay in the hospital longer for a UTI, the surgeries that didn't get infected, the influenza outbreak at a nursing home that didn't spread, and, most importantly, the lives we have saved. Happy IIPW week! #IIPW #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #infection #healthcare #savelives

Did you know that handwashing has been known to prevent disease since the mid 1800s? In 1847 Ignaz Semmelweis started to require people to scrub their hands with a a chlorinated lime solution when moving from the autopsy room to the delivery room. Then in 1848 he recommended that everyone scrub their hands between patients. These findings continue inform how we do hand hygiene today! Today we celebrate Global Handwashing Day to keep in mind this simple, yet lifesaving intervention. Go out and remind everyone to wash their hands!

What an amazing resource for local health departments and long term care!

Infection prevention is everywhere in healthcare, even with something as commonplace as ice machines. Between 2020 and 2024, 46 patients acquired an infection from Burkholderia multivorans linked to an ice machine. So how do we keep patients safe? Ice machine cleaning and preventative maintenance doesn’t always rise as the highest priority compared to other equipment in a hospital, but it should. Make sure your process aligns with the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Check on your ice machines as part of infection prevention rounding. Do they look ok, or can you see that there is a visible problem that you need to correct? Ice machines use water, so this should be part of the facility water management plan. This will help minimize risks, especially in those who are critically ill or immunocompromised. Preventing infections related to ice machines is a group effort. Enlist the help of your facilities, plant services, or whoever maintains your ice machines to keep patients safe! https://lnkd.in/gjTDZdbt #infectionprevention #prevention #infectioncontrol #infectiousdisease #healthcare #environmentofcare #hospital #teamwork #icemachine

As infection preventionists, we have focused so much on central line associated bloodstream infections, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Preventing hospital onset bacteremia is the next frontier in keeping patients safe and here are some great ways to get started! #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #prevention #infectiousdisease #bacteremia #healthcare

Infection preventionists are educators. We educate clinical staff on how to prevent infections from spreading, we educate patients about how to keep themselves safe, we educate leaders about the importance of work, and so much more. The people that we educate are mostly adults. To make sure our education is heard and understood, we must tailor our approaches to meet the needs of adult learners. Share the why: Knowing why something is important helps the learner see that investing time and energy in understanding the material is worthwhile. Respect your learners: Adults are internally motivated and may resist when information is forced on them. Even if the education is required, give options on how it is presented and how learners can engage with it. Recognize that adult learners bring their own experiences and knowledge that they can share. Show the relevance: Connect the education to the work that your learners do. Clearly show how the new knowledge can be applied to situations that the learner encounters. When we can fully engage adult learners in infection prevention education, we ensure that key knowledge is understood and will be applied. This, in turn, helps us work together better to keep our healthcare facilities and communities safe. #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #prevention #education #educator #healthcare

MRSA, CRE, MDROs...the acronyms that we use daily as infection preventionists pose a real threat to the lives of people across the world. The World Health Organization estimates that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) directly led to 1.27 million deaths and contributed to 4.95 million deaths alone in 2019. The good news is that leaders across the world just approved a declaration to reduce deaths related to AMR by 10% by 2030. Of the targets put in place to meet this goal, improving Infection Prevention and Control programs is one of the major interventions. Specifically targets include: - 100% of countries having basic water, sanitation, hygiene and waste services in all health care facilities ? -90% of countries meeting all World Health Organization's minimum requirements for infection prevention and control programs at the national level We, as infection preventionists, have always known that our work is important in preventing AMR. It is amazing to see this work elevated on a global scale to make real change and save lives!? ? https://lnkd.in/eZXgY5Cv #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #infectionpreventionist #prevent #healthcare #publichealth #antimicrobialresistance #amr

Fall is here, which?means respiratory season?is just around the corner! You as an?infection preventionist are prepared to prevent the spread of respiratory infections--vaccine clinics are scheduled and respiratory etiquette stations are up throughout your facility. But what have you done so far to promote vaccination and respiratory etiquette? Visible leadership support, clear communication, and promotional campaigns can all increase influenza vaccine uptake. ? Easy to understand promotional promotional materials and readily available masks, facial tissues, and hand sanitizers increase respiratory etiquette compliance. Creating a plan to promote vaccination and respiratory etiquette is just as important as having the supplies. Together we can keep patients and healthcare workers safe from respiratory illness this season! #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #infectionpreventionist #healthcare #respiratoryseason #fluseason #fall #prevent #vaccination #respiratoryetiquette