IPAC Canada Launches Extended Bilingual Infection Prevention & Control Routine Practices E-Learning Program

WINNIPEG, April 8, 2014 /CNW/ - IPAC Canada Launches Infection Control Program for Front Line Health Care Workers. This comprehensive, English and French E-Learning program is designed to assist Health Care Administrators in implementing standardized infection prevention and control practices. The E-Learning medium delivers consistent training in a cost effective manner to a diverse demographic group of front line workers; who may be geographically dispersed in a variety of health care settings across Canada.

Bruce Gamage, President of IPAC Canada, says "The curriculum is updated to reflect the most current regulatory standards and protocols across Canada. This E-Learning curriculum is designed to assist healthcare facilities train "Front Line" workers in standardized best practices for the prevention and control of infections in healthcare settings. This is an essential for ensuring both patient and staff safety."

The program consists of six, English or French, self-paced E-Learning modules that each include approximately 1 hour of learning. Each participant must achieve a minimum of 75% in answering questions after each module to receive acknowledgement from Georgian College for their successful completion certification. The program is updated regularly in both English and French and is designed to be taken annually to standardize infection control practices in all health care settings.

The program was first launched in 2011, updated in 2013 and now expanded to include both English and French versions in 2014. The program is designed by IPAC Canada to help reduce the number and duration of infections in all health care settings in Canada.  This E-Learning, First Line of Defence program was developed by a national Committee of Infection Control Professionals (ICPs).

ICPs come from many different backgrounds within the health care disciplines such as nursing, medicine, microbiology and medical technology; and they are responsible for Infection Prevention and Control within hospitals and other health care facilities. Infection Control Professionals are responsible for keeping abreast of all current infection control standards and practices.

Quick Facts

• Standardizing Infection Prevention and Control practices have become an increasingly important issue for health care facilities with the globalization of infections, along with the introduction of new and virulent infections.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada recently (Nov. 2013) published its landmark 5 year (2007 - 2011) Antimicrobial Resistant Organisms (ARO) Surveillance findings which indicated increasing infection rates per patient days.
• Those infections are related to Healthcare-Associated-Clostridium difficile, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci infection  and Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms (CPO) during the study period pointing to possible gaps in infection prevention and control in Canada

Image with caption: "IPAC Canada Infection Control Program for Front Line Health Care Workers (CNW Group/Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC Canada))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140408_C9107_PHOTO_EN_39034.jpg

SOURCE: Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC Canada)

For further information:

Contact:
Gerry Hansen (Ms.) BA
Executive Director - Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC Canada) 
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.ipac-canada.org