VIPTA is a statewide infection prevention and control education collaborative, led by the Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group. Through partnership, VIPTA curates IPC resources for Virginia’s healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.
Healthcare Ventilation Can Really Blow
When it comes to infection prevention, what’s in the air matters. This month’s featured resources focus on healthcare airflow and ventilation, breaking down complex concepts into practical tools that are easy to use. Be sure to check the Regulation & Guidance Updates section for new information from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to stay current on the latest recommendations.
What to Expect
- ASHE Project Firstline Explainer Videos: Short, easy-to-share resource from American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) that help facility managers and frontline staff understand the critical role ventilation plays in keeping healthcare environments safe. (English & Spanish)
- CDC Project Firstline Ventilation Factsheet: A clear, shareable overview of how ventilation supports infection control and helps reduce the spread of germs in healthcare settings. (English & Spanish)
- ASHE Ventilation Quick Guide FAQs: A plain-language reference with concise answers to common questions about ventilation and prevention in the healthcare environment. (English & Spanish)
How to use it:
- Walk-Through with Unit IP Champion: Have a charge nurse or IP do a 5-minute walk of the area looking for best practices and asking staff:
- “What should never be in front of an airflow vent?”
- “What rooms require doors closed?”
- Breakroom Air Facts Board: Post the CDC factsheet with a simple header like: “This room protects patients/residents too. Here’s how the air helps.”
- Play Rank That Risk!: Use airflow issues you found on rounds or create hypothetical risks you want staff to be aware of like a vent blocked by a trashcan, propped open door of an airborne isolation room, or a missing or open ceiling tile. Ask: “What’s the risk here?”
Target Audience: Intermediate IPC Education Level
Making Infection Prevention Fun: A Creative Skills Fair
Infection prevention is a critical topic in healthcare, but engaging staff in learning can often be challenging. Jennifer Kemp, RN, CRRN, CBIS, CIC, Infection Preventionist at Sheltering Arms Institute, a nationally ranked physical rehabilitation provider located in Richmond, Virginia, decided to break away from the traditional lecture style and bring a new level of energy and interaction to infection prevention education. Her solution? A Jeopardy-style game combined with hands-on demonstrations, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Turning Learning into a Game: With only a short time to capture attention and convey essential information, Jennifer opted for a format that encouraged participation and fun. The Jeopardy game included categories such as:
- Isolation Signage and Precautions
- Cleaning and Disinfection
- Odds and Ends
- Germ Matching
This interactive approach kept participants engaged while reinforcing key infection prevention concepts.
Hands-On Demonstrations: To further enhance learning, Jennifer introduced practical demonstrations that allowed participants to apply their knowledge. Some highlights included:
- Hand Hygiene with a Twist: Participants put on gloves, applied paint, closed their eyes, and sang “Happy Birthday” while performing their usual hand hygiene. The paint revealed commonly missed areas like between the fingers, around nails, and at the wrist driving home the importance of thorough technique.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Donning and Doffing Challenge: Teams competed to correctly put on and remove PPE. This exercise exposed common errors such as incorrect sequencing and failure to tie gowns, emphasizing why attention to detail matters for safety.
- Cleaning and Disinfection Drill: Participants cleaned shared medical equipment like vital signs monitors, learning why one wipe is not enough. This activity underscored the importance of using multiple wipes for different parts of the equipment to ensure complete disinfection.
- Germ-to-Isolation Matching: Teams matched pathogens (e.g., MRSA, C. difficile, COVID-19) with the appropriate PPE and cleaning products. This reinforced understanding of isolation precautions and environmental cleaning requirements.
Why It Worked: The interactive format fostered teamwork, critical thinking, and practical application. Even seasoned nurses benefited by revisiting proper protocols and correcting habits that had drifted from best practice. Jennifer’s creative approach was so effective that participants called her booth the best skills fair of the year.
Jennifer’s innovative approach demonstrates that infection prevention education can be both fun and effective.
