Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
ForwardCourse 15: Emergency Preparedness
Welcome to Emergency Preparedness.
Infection Preventionists (IPs) play a critical role in healthcare emergency preparedness. Emergency preparedness is a systematic approach to assessing, planning and managing emergency events. This module will provide an overview of the healthcare incident command system, the IP role and responsibilities and the available resources. You and your facility play a critical role in the community and “Preparedness” during emergency events that will help protect your facility, your residents, and your staff from many potential hazards.
Training the Next Generation of Wisconsin Nursing Home Infection Preventionists complements the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) foundational training to enhance the Infection Preventionist's (IP) knowledge, competence, and confidence. This course's content was developed specifically to introduce emergency preparedness principles for a nursing home's Infection Preventionist in the event of a crisis such as was seen in the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Infection has been a long-standing problem in Wisconsin nursing homes and nationally. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requires each nursing home to have one or more IP with specialized training in infection prevention and control (IPC).
The CDC developed the Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course in 2019 for IPs to develop and implement IPC programs. In 2020 the American Nurses Association and the CDC partnered to provide Project Firstline, a free online series and tools for IPC programs. Even with these resources, there continues to be a desperate need for IP training. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated an even larger spotlight for addressing this need.
PREREQUISITE
We expect learners to complete the CDC's Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course before beginning this course.
If you have not completed the CDC's training, please stop this course now and complete it before beginning.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and other healthcare professionals serving as Infection Preventionists (IPs) in nursing home settings.
GLOBAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of participation in this course members of the healthcare team will be able to:
- Utilize an interdisciplinary approach in the development of a nursing home Infection Prevention and Control Program which includes accessing external resources such as those provided by local, state and national public health systems
- Perform a variety of infection-related risk assessments, interpret risk assessment results and develop a plan to respond to identified risks
- Develop an infection tracking system, interpret and report data generated from this surveillance system, and use the results to demonstrate achievement of identified goals or strategize for improving outcomes
- Employ approaches for controlling the spread of pathogens in outbreak and non-outbreak situations
COURSE 15 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of participation in this course members of the healthcare team will be able to:
- Describe the fundamental structure of the Healthcare Incident Command System.
- Explain the role of Infection Preventionists during emergency preparedness.
- Apply the 4-S Patient Surge framework and Crisis Standard of Care tool to an emergency event.
- Access existing resources for emergency preparedness.
CONTENT DEVELOPER
 | Linda McKinley, RN, PhD, MPH, CIC, FAPICLinda McKinley, RN, PhD, MPH, CIC, FAPIC is currently a research health scientist at the VA Hospital in Madison, WI. She has practiced nursing for 37 years with three decades as an Infection Preventionist (IP). She has held numerous Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology (APIC) chapter leadership positions in two states including chapter president in Wisconsin. She is a member of the WI Coalition for HAI Prevention in LTC that provides educational opportunities to IPs in LTC. Linda has previously served the national APIC Board of Directors and as APIC Secretary. She is recipient of an APIC Chapter Leadership Award for international activities and the SHEA Advanced Practice IP award. She has served on national Veterans Administration advisory groups, chaired the inaugural Infection Prevention and Control Field Advisory Committee and currently co-chairs the infection control subject matter expert workgroup for the VA electronic medical record project. Linda has been a speaker at local, state, national and international educational events and has mentored graduate students interested in healthcare epidemiology. She has presented numerous abstracts at educational conferences resulting in publications in peer-reviewed journals. She served on the AJIC editorial board, Associate Section Editor of APIC Text, and a scientific reviewer for the University of Wisconsin – Madison IRB and several journals including AJIC. Linda has been PI on VA funded infection control research studies, currently serves as co-investigator on a VA multi-site HAI prevention study and has facilitated infection control research in other various roles. |
CONTENT REVIEWER
Ashlie Dowdell
PLANNING COMMITTEE
| Christopher J. Crnich, MD, PhD, Course Director | Deb Burdsall, PhD, RN-BC, IP, CIC, FAPIC | Diane Dohm, BS, MT, IP, CIC, CPHQ |
| Ashlie Dowdell | Anna Eslinger, RN, WCC, IP | Tola Ewers, MS, PhD, Coordinator |
| Victoria Griffin, BSN, RN, IP, SMQ, ESRD | Linda McKinley, RN, BSN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC | Marilyn Michels, RN, MSN, CRRN, CIC, FAPIC |
POLICY ON DISCLOSURE
It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence content of this accredited continuing education (CE). In addition, speakers, presenters and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation.
For this accredited continuing education activity all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and detailed disclosures are listed below.
*Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on, patients.
The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical services directly to patients to be ineligible companies.
The University of Wisconsin provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX requirements. The University of Wisconsin fully complies with the legal requirements of the ADA and the rules and regulations thereof. If any participant in this educational activity is in need of accommodations, please contact info@icep.wisc.edu.
Accreditation Statement
 | In support of improving patient care, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. |
Credit Designation Statements
American Medical Association (AMA)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this internet enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this internet enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 ANCC contact hours.
Continuing Education Units
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for .150 continuing education units (CEUs) or 1.50 hours.
Available Credit
- 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 1.50 ANCC Contact Hours
- 1.50 University of Wisconsin–Madison Continuing Education Hours
- 1.50 Approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Accessibility
The University of Wisconsin provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX requirements. The University of Wisconsin fully complies with the legal requirements of the ADA and the rules and regulations thereof. If any participant in this educational activity is in need of accommodations, please notify us at help@icep.wisc.edu.
Registration for this activity can only be completed through the ICEP Learning Portal. Attendee registrations made through any other sites cannot be honored. UW-Madison ICEP is not able to refund fees paid through unaffiliated registration sites, such as eMedEvents.com, MedConfWorld.com, EventEgg.com, and 10times.com. Please report any unauthorized websites or solicitations for registrations to info@icep.wisc.edu.
Required Hardware/software
Free, current version of Chrome (preferred), Firefox, Safari, Edge and Adobe Acrobat Reader or other .pdf reader. Some older browsers and Internet Explorer could produce error messages or not display the content correctly.