Course Title: Comply with infection control policies and procedures

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2013

Course Code: HWSS5671C

Course Title: Comply with infection control policies and procedures

School: 155T Life & Physical Sciences

Campus: Bundoora Campus

Program: C5246 - Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing)

Course Contact : Carylin Lenehan

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4837

Course Contact Email:carylin.lenehan@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

City Campus:

Bundoora Campus:

Nominal Hours: 20

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required for workers to comply with infection control policies and procedures. All procedures must be carried out in accordance with current infection control guidelines, Australian and New Zealand Standards for maintaining infection control and the policies and procedures of the organisation
This unit acknowledges the importance of complying with an effective infection control strategy that ensures the safety of the client (or end-user of health-related products/services), maintains personal protection and prevents the transmission of infections from person to person
All tasks must be carried out in accordance with State or Territory legislative requirements that affect work practices of the organisation and/or worker
 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTIN301C Comply with infection control policies and procedures

Element:

1.Follow infection control guidelines

2.Identify and respond to infection risks

3.Maintain personal hygiene

4.Use personal protective equipment

5.Limit contamination

6.Handle, package, label, store, transport and dispose of clinical and other waste

7.Clean environmental surfaces

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Demonstrate the application of standard precautions to prevent the spread of infection in accordance with organisation requirements
1.2 Demonstrate the application of additional precautions when standard precautions alone may not be sufficient to prevent transmission of infection
1.3 Minimise contamination of materials, equipment and instruments by aerosols and splatter
 

2.1 Identify infection risks and implement an appropriate response within own role and responsibility
2.2 Document and report activities and tasks that put clients and/or other workers at risk
2.3 Respond appropriately to situations that pose an infection risk in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation
2.4 Follow procedures for risk control and risk containment for specific risks
2.5 Follow protocols for care following exposure to blood or other body fluids as required
2.6 Place appropriate signs when and where appropriate
2.7 Remove spills in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation
 

3.1 Maintain hand hygiene by washing hands before and after client contact and/or after any activity likely to cause contamination
3.2 Follow handwashing procedures
3.3 Implement hand care procedures
3.4 Cover cuts and abrasions with water-proof dressings and change as necessary
 

4.1 Wear personal protective clothing and equipment that complies with Australian/New Zealand Standards, and is appropriate for the intended use
4.2 Change protective clothing and gowns/aprons daily, more frequently if soiled and where appropriate, after each client contact
 

5.1 Demarcate and maintain clean and contaminated zones in all aspects of health care work
5.2 Confine records, materials and medicaments to a well-designated clean zone
5.3 Confine contaminated instruments and equipment to a well-designated contaminated zone
 

6.1 Wear appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment in accordance with occupational health and safety policies and procedures when handling waste
6.2 Separate waste at the point where it has been generated and dispose of into waste containers that are colour coded and identified
6.3 Store clinical or related waste in an area that is accessible only to authorised persons
6.4 Handle, package, label, store, transport and dispose of waste appropriately to minimise potential for contact with the waste and to reduce the risk to the environment from accidental release
6.5 Dispose of waste safely in accordance with policies and procedures of the organisation and legislative requirements
 

7.1 Wear personal protective clothing and equipment during cleaning procedures
7.2 Remove all dust, dirt and physical debris from work surfaces
7.3 Clean all work surfaces with a neutral detergent and warm water solution before and after each session or when visibly soiled
7.4 Decontaminate equipment requiring special processing in accordance with quality management systems to ensure full compliance with cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation protocols
7.5 Dry all work surfaces before and after use
7.6 Replace surface covers where applicable
7.7 Maintain and store cleaning equipment
 


Learning Outcomes


At the end of this session the student should be able to:
• Follow infection control guidelines
• Identify and respond to infection risks
• Maintain personal hygiene
• Use personal protective equipment
• Limit contamination
• Handle, package, label, store, transport, and dispose of clinical and other waste
• Clean environmental surfaces
 


Details of Learning Activities

• Facilitated class discussion
• Small group work
• SDL
 


Teaching Schedule

Lesson 1: Follow infection control guidelines -Introduction to infection control & microbiology

• Identify & define key terms of infection control.
• Identify & discuss the legal frameworks that regulate infection control practices in Australia, including the EN’s roles and responsibilities
• Identify & discuss the classification of microorganisms
• Describe the chain of infection, and discuss strategies to minimise the transmission of disease.
 

Lesson 2:   Identify & respond to infection risks

• Identify & discuss infection risks associated with the roles & responsibilities of the EN
• Identify & discuss procedures for to respond to situations that oppose an infection risk
• Identify & describe protocols for managing exposure to blood or bodily fluids
• Identify & describe protocols for the management of spills
 

Lesson 3: Maintain personal hygiene personal

• Identify & discuss the importance of personal hygiene in the prevention & transmission of disease, including hand hygiene
• Identify & discuss the EN’s role’s & responsibilities in managing own health including
- sick day protocols e.g. Gastro
- wound management
- immunisations

Lesson 4:  Use Personal Protective Equipment -Limiting Contamination

• Define, and describe standard and transmission based precautions, including clinical indications for their use
• Identify & discuss the differences between clean & contaminated zone
• Describe the processes of cleaning & sterilising equipment
 

Lesson 5:  Handle, package, label, store, transport & dispose of clinical & other waste -Clean environmental surfaces
 

• Identify & discuss the processes of handling laundry.
• Define & discuss the management of clinical waste, including the roles and responsibilities of the EN

• Describe the processes of environmental cleaning, including the management of blood spills
 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

No Prescribed textbook for this course


References


Other Resources

All classroom powerpoints posted on student blackboard


Overview of Assessment

Online (Paper Based Examination) 100% - Assignment 100%
Skills Assessment – Competent ( C ) of Not Yet Competent (NYC)
Attendance of classes 80% required
 


Assessment Tasks

All assessment tasks will be discussed in first class of course and expectations of assessement requirements

All assessment tasks must have a competency grade to be deemed competent for this course

A classroom attendance of 80% requirement

A competency grade of 60% for each assessment requirement to be deemed competent

Course must have a competent grade to be permitted to attend clinical placement (required prior to clinical placement 1)


Assessment Matrix

  • 60 -69     - CAG
  • 70 -79      - CC
  • 80 -89      - CDI
  • 90 -100    - CHD

Other Information

Essential knowledge:
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role
This includes knowledge of:
• Additional precautions
• Aspects of infectious diseases including:
• opportunistic organisms
• pathogens
• Basic microbiology including:
• bacteria and bacterial spores
• fungi
• viruses
• Clean and sterile techniques
• Disease transmission:
• paths of transmission including direct contact, aerosols and penetrating injuries
• risk of acquisition
• sources of infecting microorganisms including persons who are carriers, in the incubation phase of the disease or those who are acutely ill
• Effective hand hygiene:
• procedures for routine handwash
• procedures for surgical handwash
• when hands must be washed
• Good personal hygiene practice including hand care
• Identification and management of infectious risks in the workplace
• Organisation requirements relating to immunisation, where applicable
• Personal protective equipment:
• guidelines for glove use
• guidelines for wearing gowns and waterproof aprons
• guidelines for wearing masks as required
• guidelines for wearing protective glasses
• Standard precautions
• Susceptible hosts including persons who are immune suppressed, have chronic diseases such as diabetes and the very young or very old
• Surface cleaning:
• cleaning procedures at the start and end of the day
• managing a blood or body fluid spill
• routine surface cleaning
• Sharps handling and disposal techniques

Essential skills:
It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:
• Consistently apply handwashing, personal hygiene and personal protection protocols
• Consistently apply clean and sterile techniques
• Consistently apply protocols to limit contamination

• The organisation’s infection control policies and procedures

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role
This includes the ability to:
• Apply standard precautions:
• consistently ensure instruments used for invasive procedures are sterile at time of use (where appropriate)
• consistently follow the procedure for washing and drying hands
• consistently limit contamination
• consistently maintain clean surfaces and manage blood and body fluid spills
• consistently protect materials, equipment and instruments from contamination until required for use
• consistently put into practice clean and sterile techniques
• consistently use personal protective equipment
• Apply additional precautions when standard precautions are not sufficient
• Take into account opportunities to address waste minimisation, environmental responsibility and sustainable practice issues


 

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