Shining a Light on Representation in Healthcare Training
Mpox is a contagious rash illness caused by the mpox virus. In November 2024, the first case of clade I mpox was confirmed in the United States. The Virginia Department of Health’s mpox fact sheet features medical images of diverse skin tones to enhance healthcare professionals’ ability to recognize mpox symptoms in all patients.
In a 2022 study, Buonsenso et al. found that 74% of surveyed healthcare professionals reported using training materials featuring predominantly white skin, and only 5% felt confident diagnosing skin conditions across all skin tones. Inclusive training materials like this not only build diagnostic confidence but also advance equitable care for diverse communities.
Want to Learn More? Access the VDH mpox fact sheet for practical guidance on prevention, symptoms, and treatment. Visit VDH’s mpox webpage to learn more.
Target Audience: Foundational IPC Education Level
Is it Really a Penicillin Allergy?
Did you know that 10% of U.S. patients report a penicillin allergy, but fewer than 1% are actually allergic? Taking the time to clarify whether a penicillin allergy is real or not can make a big difference in patient care. As we approach U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW), November 18-24, it’s the perfect opportunity to confirm if that reported allergy is accurate.
By doing so, healthcare providers can help reduce the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics—lowering healthcare costs and decreasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. A simple conversation or assessment can go a long way!
Ready to take action? Here are some helpful resources to get started:
- Penicillin Allergy Education: The CDC’s flyer “Is it Really a Penicillin Allergy?” provides key insights for healthcare professionals on the importance of evaluating reported penicillin allergies.
- Allergy Assessment Tool: The AHRQ tool helps clinicians safely evaluate reported penicillin allergies, supporting accurate diagnosis and improved patient care.
- CDC Toolkit for USAAW: Use the toolkit and daily themes to inspire your activities throughout Antibiotic Awareness Week.
Target Audience: Intermediate IPC education level
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW): October 13–19, 2024
This year’s theme, “Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention,” is all about advancing infection prevention efforts and making infection prevention fun and engaging for your team.
APIC provides activities like the Build a Bug Contest or daily infection prevention Wordles. These interactive events are designed to spark creativity, teamwork, and excitement while reinforcing the best practices that keep everyone safe.
Ways to Use This Resource:
- Build a Bug Contest: Challenge your team to create their own superbug and showcase how they would stop it!
- Daily Wordle: Add some brain-teasing fun to your day with infection prevention-themed Wordles.
- Infection Prevention Challenges: Bring out the competitive spirit with trivia, scavenger hunts, and more.
Target Audience: Essential to Foundational IPC education level
My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene
Hand hygiene is essential for patient safety, and reminders are key! The World Health Organization’s “My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” posters are customized to fit your work environment.
These new posters offer tailored guidance to fit different settings. Whether you’re working with patients in outpatient clinics or managing complex procedures in hemodialysis, these posters highlight the critical moments to clean your hands: before patient contact, before a clean procedure, after exposure to body fluids, after patient contact, and after touching patient surroundings.
Ways to Use This Resource
- Update your orientation and trainings with the “My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” poster that best matches your work environment.
- Post education posters (with a wipeable surface) in spaces where staff do hand hygiene.
Target Audience: Essential IPC education level
Adult Vaccine Activity Book
The fall respiratory vaccine season will soon be upon us, and the Adult Vaccine Activity Book from Alliant Health Solutions is a great way to get your staff engaged. This fun resource includes vaccine themed activities like word searches, word scrambles, and adult-friendly coloring pages. These activities can get the conversation started to reduce hesitancy and boost staff enthusiasm for infection prevention. Let’s gear up and make this respiratory season our safest yet!
Ways to Use This Resource
- Staff engagement: Share at huddles or drop them in break rooms; these are great to sprinkle around the facility. Try putting out a new one or two each week to keep it fresh.
Target Audience: Essential IPC education level
Whoop Whoop! New Infection Prevention Playbook for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
EMS touch all parts of healthcare and play a critical role in the infection prevention landscape. The updated EMS Infectious Disease Playbook condenses essential information into a single, comprehensive resource. It’s designed to assist EMS agencies in developing clear, effective policies that address a wide range of infection prevention topics like dispatch procedures, transmission-based precautions, personal protective equipment, and special considerations in pediatrics and aeromedical transport.
EMS Infectious Disease Playbook from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Ways to Use This Resource
- Comprehensive Guidance: Provides streamlined workflows for education tailored to resonate with EMS personnel.
- Centralized Resource: Consolidates the latest guidelines from various sources, ensuring EMS professionals have immediate access to current standards.
Target Audience: Foundational IPC education level