Infection preventionists (IPs) should be actively engaged with members of their surgical teams to promote quality improvement activities aimed at full implementation of current evidence‐based surgical site infection prevention measures. But often times, IPs feel disconnected from the operating room environment and may even believe they have nothing to offer their surgical colleagues in promoting evidence‐based surgical site infection prevention practices. This presentation will discuss important knowledge and skills that IPs do have to offer, and how they can use those skills to work collaboratively with surgical teams to ensure high quality, safe surgical care.

Live Webinar Date: Sep 12, 2019 1:00 PM EDT

Length: 1 Hour

Hospital leadership is under constant pressure to improve their surgical outcome scores.  Novel technology promising to help is available, but typically lacks robust supporting data during the first few years of its life cycle.  This leaves clinical leaders and their committees in a tough spot when they identify promising new concepts – is it encouraging enough to perform a formal evaluation or do they pass on the cutting edge opportunity until an RCT is available and risk a further delay of reaching their goals?  Toni Polk, BSN, RN, CIC will share her team’s story of trialing a new product with hopes of improving their surgical outcomes at a time when all other options had been exhausted.

Original Air Date: Nov 1, 2018 1:00 PM EDT

Length: 1 Hour

Michelle DeVries, BS, MPH, CIC, VA-BC will be sharing a review of literature that indicate that dressing changes due to disruption are associated with a significant risk of bloodstream infection. Her facility’s quality improvement project to decrease the number of premature dressing changes due to disruption was initiated and its results will also be discussed.

Original Air Date: Oct 8, 2018 1:00 PM EDT

Length: 1 Hour

Catheter Related Bloodstream Infections (CRBSI) are associated with negative clinical outcomes (morbidity and mortality), increased length of hospital stay, and increased costs. Clinical Practice Guidelines indicate that dressing changes due to the disruption are associated with a risk of bloodstream infection. In this presentation Russell Nassof, JD and Founder of RiskNomics will address the patient, quality, legal and financial implications of vascular access device dressing disruption.

Original Air Date: Aug 22, 2018

Length: 1 Hour