This article is part of our Training Requirement Series where we provide comprehensive guides to meet the actual training requirements that are often needed/requested of learning and development departments within Australia's healthcare organisations. This series includes both general requirements, such as infection prevention and control, but also focuses on the specific requirements stemming from the NDIS, Aged Care and NSQHS Quality Standards.

Action 3.05: Infection Surveillance Strategies

Organisations providing services should use strategies for infections, risk of infection, and antimicorbial use that:

• Is implemented in a timely manner incorporating national and jurisdictional information
• Collects healthcare-associated and other infections data relevant to the size and scope of the organisation
• Reduces infections associated risks by reporting on surveillance data on infection to the workforce
• Supports antimicrobial prescribing via monitoring, assessing and using surveillance data
• Monitors risk responsiveness identified by surveillance
• Reports surveillance data on antimicrobial use to the workforce, governing body, consumers and other relevant groups

Action 3.06:

• Organisations have process to apply stansmission-based and standard precautions consistent with the current addition of the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, as well as jurisdictional requirements, laws and policies (including work health and safety laws)

Action 3.07: Healthcare organisation standard and transmission-based precautions

Healthcare organisations must have:

• Employ cooperative methods to evaluate and communicate potential infection hazards to both patients and healthcare staff.
• Implement a multifaceted approach to minimize infection spread, utilising the hierarchy of controls to make it as effective as feasibly possible.
• Establish clear guidelines for the proper selection, usage, testing, and fitting of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among the workforce.
• Implement systems to stay on top of and adapt to emerging scientific insights, as well as national or jurisdictional regulations, policies, and guidelines related to infection control.
• Outline methods to audit adherence to both standard and transmission-based precautions for infection prevention.
• Develop mechanisms to evaluate the proficiency of healthcare staff in the application of standard and transmission-based precautions.
• Introduce systems and training to boost compliance levels with standard and transmission-based precautionary measures.

Action 3.08: Workforce Applying standard and transmission-based precautions

Healthcare workforce staff should:

• Evaluate patients' infection risks at the point of referral, upon admission, and at different stages during their healthcare journey.
• Determine if a patient is carrying a contagious illness, or has existing or prior colonisation with significant organisms, either locally or nationally.
• Assess the specific needs for patient accommodation to effectively manage and mitigate infection risks.
• Evaluate the potential impacts on a patient’s wellbeing when isolated for infection control.
• Implement controls related to heating, ventilation, water systems, facility design, and workflow to minimise infection risks.
• Outline the necessary precautions when moving a patient either within the healthcare facility or to external services.
• Identify when extra environmental cleaning or disinfection procedures and resources are needed.
• Assess the specific infection risks associated with the medical procedure being carried out.
• Determine the types of equipment needed for everyday care while adhering to infection control guidelines.

Action 3.09: Standard and transmission-based precaution processes

Helathcare organisations have processes to

• Assess and act upon data concerning infections within the community that could affect both patients and healthcare staff.
• Share pertinent information about a patient's infectious condition during their care and at transitions between different levels or settings of care.
• Supply the patient, their family, and carers with essential details about their infectious status, the risks involved, and the precautions needed to limit infection spread.

Action 3.13: Maintaining a clearn and safe environment

Processess in place in line with the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare and jurisdictional to:

• Take action to mitigate risks posed by environmental factors and newly identified infections.
• Utilise cleaning and disinfection products that are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and adhere to the manufacturers' usage guidelines and recommended schedules.
• Ensure that staff have access to training modules that cover standard cleaning processes, outbreak-related cleaning, and procedures for dealing with new types of infections.
• Regularly assess the efficacy of cleaning practices and adherence to the organisation's environmental cleaning policies.
• Use audit outcomes to enhance environmental cleaning protocols and compliance with organisational policy.

Action 3.14: Clean and safe environment evaluation and response

Processes to:

• Evaluate both new and existing equipment, devices, and products utilised within the healthcare organisation for infection risk.
• Extend infection prevention measures to cover both clinical and non-clinical zones, as well as employee amenity spaces.
• Include procedures for the upkeep, repair, and enhancement of buildings, equipment, furnishings, and fittings, with infection control in mind.
• Implement guidelines for the safe handling, transportation, and storage of linen to minimise infection risks.
• Plan for novel infections and risks that emerge as part of coordinated public health responses or pandemic preparedness.

Action 3.15: Workforce screening and immunisation

Organisations have risk-based workforce vaccine-preventable diseases immunisation and screening policies that:

• Ensure that protocols are in line with the latest edition of the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
• Adapt measures to be consistent with jurisdiction-specific guidelines concerning vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Address particular infection risks that could impact the healthcare workforce, consumers, and patients.

Action 3.16: Workplace infections proceses

Risk-based processes to prevent workforce infections that:

• Ensures practices align with relevant state or territory work health and safety regulations, as well as the current edition of the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare.
• Complies with state and territory public health requirements for workforce screening and designated exclusion periods.
• Develops strategies to manage infection risks affecting the workforce, patients, and consumers, including those related to novel infections.
• Encourages staff and volunteers to abstain from work or visiting healthcare settings when infection is suspected or confirmed.
• Tracks and regulates the flow of healthcare staff between clinical areas, care settings, amenity areas, and different health service organisations.
• Provides guidelines and resources for workforce members who are required to isolate or quarantine following exposure to or acquisition of an infection.
• Establishes systems for the monitoring, investigation, and management of infection outbreaks.
• Formulates plans to maintain ongoing service provision during outbreaks, pandemics, or events with increased infection transmission risks.

Action 3.18: Antimicrobial stewardship program

Developing a program that:

• Integrate a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship policy into the organisation's infection prevention strategy.
• Offer access to current, evidence-based Australian therapeutic guidelines for antimicrobial prescribing, and promote their utilisation.
• Maintain an antimicrobial formulary that aligns with current evidence-based Australian therapeutic guidelines, complete with restriction rules and approval processes.
• Implement core components, recommendations, and principles from the prevailing Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard.
• Use the outcomes of audits on antimicrobial usage and appropriateness as a basis for ongoing quality improvement.

Action 3.19: Applying the antimicrobial stewardship program:

Organisations should ensure the program will:

• Periodically examine the patterns of antimicrobial prescribing and usage within the organisation.
• Leverage surveillance data concerning antimicrobial resistance to inform and improve appropriate prescribing practices.
• Assess the efficacy of the program, pinpoint areas needing enhancement, and initiate actions to better the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing and usage.
• Report to clinicians and governing bodies by:
• Delivering regular reports on compliance with the antimicrobial stewardship policy and guidelines.
• Highlighting areas requiring targeted interventions to combat antimicrobial resistance.
• Monitoring and reporting the organisation’s longitudinal performance related to the use and appropriateness of antimicrobials.

National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards

Training Requirement: Hand Hygiene