Infection Prevention and Control: 5N3734

An elective module of the Healthcare Support Certificate and other healthcare related certificates. This module deals with the management of good infection control practices in the home and workplace to maintain a safe environment for the learner and others while under supervision as required by the relevant legislation and best practice guidelines in line with HIQA standards.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the basic principles of infection and the application of standard precautions in relation to infection control, to include the significance of an Area of Infection Control
• Discuss the importance of infection prevention and control in the healthcare area, in providing a healthy environment for patients, staff and visitors
• Summarise the various types of micro organisms, the elements required for the growth, spread and subsequent infection process, to include direct and indirect contact, knowledge of the chain of infection and the need for vigilance and safe practice at all times
• Analyse the predisposing factors to the development of healthcare-acquired infections to include contact precautions, respiratory precautions and enteric precautions
• Discuss the role and functions of the local infection control team members, to include local policy in relation to dress, staff health and travel associated infections
• Investigate the terms cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation to include cleaning standards, procedures and frequencies while paying special attention to decontamination of equipment, including patient care equipment
• Identify the main blood borne viruses which pose a threat and the methods that prevent the spread of infections
• Examine the role of antibiotics and the importance of correct and safe antibiotic use to avoid antibiotic resistance
• Differentiate between social hand hygiene, antiseptic hand hygiene and surgical hand hygiene to include the correct use of alcohol hand gels and the need for good personal skin care and efficient hand washing
• Implement the local terminal cleaning procedure in a range of settings, such as an isolation room, single use items and outbreak management
• Apply appropriate management of blood and body fluid spillages, to include policies for dealing with clean and soiled linen, the disposal of sharps and the correct management following inoculation, injury or accidental exposure to blood and body fluids

 Assessments

• Examination Theory 40%
• Skills Demonstration 40%
• Learner Record 20%

 Transfer

Successful completion of this component award enables the learner to transfer to programmes leading to other certificates where this component is an elective requirement.