Course Title: Comply with infection control policies and procedures in health work

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2012

Course Code: HWSS5582C

Course Title: Comply with infection control policies and procedures in health work

School: 365T Global Studies, Soc Sci & Plng

Campus: City Campus

Program: C3262 - Certificate III in Aged Care

Course Contact : Susan Russell

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99254637

Course Contact Email:susan.russell@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

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

Not Applicable.

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 practises of the organisation and/or worker.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTIN301A Comply with infection control policies and procedures in health work

Element:

Clean environmental surfaces.

Performance Criteria:

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

Element:

Follow infection control guidelines.

Performance Criteria:

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

Element:

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

Performance Criteria:

1. Wear appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment in accordance with occupational health and safety policies and procedures when handling waste
2. Separate waste at the point where it has been generated and dispose of into waste containers that are colour coded and identified
3. Store clinical or related waste in an area that is accessible only to authorised persons
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
5. Dispose of waste safely in accordance with policies and procedures of the organisation and legislative requirements

Element:

Identify and respond to infection risks.

Performance Criteria:

1. Identify infection risks and implement an appropriate response within own role and responsibility
2. Document and report activities and tasks that put clients and/or other workers at risk
3. Respond appropriately to situations that pose an infection risk in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation
4. Follow procedures for risk control and risk containment for specific risks
5. Follow protocols for care following exposure to blood or other body fluids as required
6. Place appropriate signs when and where appropriate
7. Remove spills in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation

Element:

Limit contamination.

Performance Criteria:

1. Demarcate and maintain clean and contaminated zones in all aspects of health care work
2. Confine records, materials and medicaments to a well-designated clean zone
3. Confine contaminated instruments and equipment to a well-designated contaminated zone

Element:

Maintain personal hygiene.

Performance Criteria:

1. Maintain hand hygiene by washing hands before and after client contact and/or after any activity likely to cause contamination
2. Follow handwashing procedures
3. Implement hand care procedures
4. Cover cuts and abrasions with water-proof dressings and change as necessary

Element:

Use personal protective equipment.

Performance Criteria:

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


Learning Outcomes


The Learner will have acquire the essential knowledge outlined in the elements belonging to this unit including identifying and managing 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 hand wash - procedures for surgical hand wash - when hands must be washed, good personal hygiene practise 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, for wearing gowns and waterproof aprons, for wearing protective glasses, for wearing masks as required, 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 and the organisation’s infection control policies and procedures. In addition the learner will have demonstrated their ability to have skillfully and consistently apply hand washing, personal hygiene and personal protection protocols along with consistently apply clean and sterile techniques and consistently apply protocols to limit contamination.


Details of Learning Activities

Learners will participate in class room discussions, problem solving within individual and team groups. They will be encouraged to express their concerns and ideas both negative and positive. They will participate in role play scenarios in a simulated environment within the frame work of expected outcomes and discuss the reality of the outcomes via their own/trainers experience with in the appropriate work environment. They will participate in questionnaires, case studies and practical placement. All within the contents of this unit.


Teaching Schedule

Learners will participate in class room discussions, problem solving within individual and team groups. They will be encouraged to express their concerns and ideas both negative and positive. They will participate in role play scenarios in a simulated environment within the frame work of expected outcomes and discuss the reality of the outcomes via their own/trainers experience with in the appropriate work environment. They will participate in questionnaires, case studies and practical placement. All within the contents of this unit.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Learning resources are provided via booklets created to cover the essential information referring to the unit applied and are supplied to all learners attending the program. Updated handouts are also given to all students and frequent face to face discussion re dvd’s that may be viewed.


Overview of Assessment

The overview of assessments will include observation of workplace performance as the  preferred  assessment of this unit, however the assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible, where, for reasons of safety, access to equipment and resources and space, assessment takes place away from the workplace, simulations should be used to represent workplace conditions as closely as possible. Evidence of essential knowledge and understanding may be provided by, a written assignments/projects,  case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practise,  oral/written questionnaires, staff and/or client feedback , supporting statement of supervisor, authenticated evidence of relevant work experience and/or formal/informal learning and or role play/simulation .


Assessment Tasks

A leaner must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit. Assessments methods have been designed to achieve the competencies of this unit in a flexible manner and over a range of assessment tasks. Learners will participate in 100 hours of practical placement to demonstrate their essential knowledge and skills to meet the competencies and expected outcomes of this unit. Students will need to complete a practical placement competency matrix, signed and witnessed by the appropriate authorities to ensure the ability to perform their expected tasks meet the criteria of competencies for this unit.


Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview