Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/infection-prevention

Introduction

### Course Review: Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes **Course Overview:** The "Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes" course available on Coursera is an essential program designed for healthcare professionals, particularly those working in nursing home settings. It provides an in-depth understanding of the critical role that the environment plays in the transmission of infections and offers practical strategies for implementing standard and transmission-based precautions. With a focus on preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other infections, this course stands out as a significant resource for enhancing patient safety and infection control in nursing facilities. **Syllabus Breakdown:** 1. **Breaking the Chain of Infection:** The foundational module covers Standard Precautions and introduces Transmission-based Precautions. Here, learners will grasp how to effectively break the chain of infection to safeguard residents and staff, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of these critical preventive measures. 2. **Multi-drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs):** This module addresses a pressing concern in healthcare today: antibiotic resistance. As antibiotic use has escalated over the last 70 years, so has the emergence of "super-bugs." Participants will explore the implications of these resistant organisms in nursing homes and learn proactive strategies to help mitigate their spread, which is essential knowledge for any healthcare provider. 3. **Safe Injection Practices:** The course emphasizes the importance of safe injection practices, highlighting past outbreaks linked to unsafe procedures. Through best practices and the One and Only Campaign, healthcare providers will review and reinforce the critical protocols necessary for safe injections and blood glucose monitoring, which are essential for maintaining resident safety. 4. **Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection:** Recent studies indicate that environmental surfaces play a significant role in disease transmission. This module dives into best practices for effective cleaning and disinfection, addressing the importance of maintaining a hygienic environment to prevent the spread of pathogens like MRSA and norovirus, which can have severe impacts in nursing homes. 5. **Preventing Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs):** Nursing home residents are particularly at risk of UTIs. This module presents strategies for prevention, providing vital information to caregivers on how to keep residents healthy and UTI-free, which is crucial for promoting their overall well-being. 6. **Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) Prevention:** Finally, this module tackles the challenges of preventing C. difficile infections, which are known for causing serious health issues in nursing homes. Learners will gain insights into the transmission pathways of C. difficile and best practices for preventing its spread, which are imperative for protecting vulnerable populations within these facilities. **Overall Recommendation:** The "Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes" course is highly recommended for nursing home staff, including nurses, nursing assistants, infection preventionists, and administrators. The course effectively combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications, empowering caregivers with the tools needed to create a safer environment for residents. Given the rise of antibiotic resistance and the increasing number of infections transmitted in nursing facilities, this course is timely and crucial for all healthcare professionals involved in long-term care. Whether you are seeking to enhance your infection control knowledge, meet regulatory requirements, or simply improve the quality of care in your facility, enrolling in this course on Coursera is a valuable investment in your professional development and the safety of your residents.

Syllabus

Breaking the Chain of Infection

Standard Precautions are the foundation for preventing the spread of infectious agents. Sometimes conditions require the addition of Transmission-based Precautions. In this module, we will review Standard Precautions and describe four transmission-based precaution categories.

In the 70 years since the first antibiotics where developed to treat common bacterial infections, resistance to these “wonder” drugs has increased due to overuse and misuse. This has led to the rise of "super-bugs" or “multi-drug resistant organisms” that are not treatable by any antibiotic. If not addressed, antibiotic resistance will result in people dying from simple bacterial infections. This module will describe multi-drug resistant organisms, how they affect the residents in your facility, and what you can do to help control their spread.

Unsafe injection practices have led to large outbreaks of bloodborne pathogens. It is critical that best practices for safe injections and blood glucose monitoring are followed without exception. We will look at factors that contribute to the misuse of injection equipment, and a special program health care personnel can utilize to address this problem: the One and Only Campaign.

Until recently, the role of the environment in disease transmission has been thought to be insignificant. Recent studies have shown that several major pathogens, like MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and norovirus, are shed by colonized and infected residents and contaminate surfaces at levels sufficient for disease transmission. This module will examine best practices for cleaning and disinfection.

This module you will learn about the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among nursing home residents and prevention strategies for helping residents stay healthy and UTI free.

Preventing Clostridium difficile infection and transmission continues to represent a serious challenge in infection prevention and nursing home resident safety. In this module, you will learn about how C. difficile is spread and best practices for preventing the spread of the germ in your facility.