Infection Control Quick Reference Guide as a Means of Educating and Assisting Healthcare Workers

Abstract

ISSUE: Infection control programs generally employ a policy and procedure manual to address certain infection control issues. Our hospital's manual had grown to the point where it was cumbersome and (possibly) intimidating to staff, leading to many calls and pages from staff when the answers to their questions were available in the Infection Control Manual. PROJECT: According to principles of adult learning, adults generally prefer practical knowledge, and they tend to learn what they can use when it is problem-centered and when immediate application follows instruction. The Quick Reference Guide was developed to quickly answer frequent questions about isolation and infection control for staff providing direct patient care. The Guide is contained within a hard directory which opens to a center flip chart similar to nursing kardexes. Each topic is tabbed and color-coded and allows for easy identification of specific infection control problems, such as isolation precautions, patient placement, and MDROs, which had previously generated a high number of calls. RESULTS: This format has significantly reduced the number of calls and pages to Infection Control for common problems. It also can be used for registry or travel nurses to identify hospital specific infection control practices. The format of the Guide allows for change or revision of specific topics, without changing the total Guide. It has been dubbed “The Reader's Digest Condensed” form of the Infection Control Manual. Staff input has been solicited to identify items that should be included in the second edition.