Moving forward in an uncertain world is challenging. With the “emergency” ending, it is important to note that many areas of the United States ended it several months ago, at least in the Kansas City area.
Last Spring, early Summer I observed businesses were stopping having a designated employee cleaning carts. I won’t say they were disinfecting as more often than not, from my observations, they were using a non-disinfectant product and forget about contact times if they were using a disinfectant. Hand sanitizer at entrances were pushed backed and/or not refilled.
Back in September the CDC discontinued the need for masks unless you are immunocompromised/high risk, while many hospital IPs and National APIC continued to support the use of masks by HCWs in the healthcare settings meeting considerable resistance based on what my colleagues shared with me and what I read on the discussion boards.
Although it is reported that the COVID pandemic raised the profile of the Infection Preventionist several things did not happen even though IPs worked non-stop 7 days/week for greater than 3 years.
On LinkedIn, one IP colleague, Chad Neilson, stated that he took a poll to find out how many IPs received any type or additional pay during the pandemic, 70% didn’t receive any additional compensation for their hard work. While this was a small sample, it still highlighted to me that the IP & C role isn’t at the level in the organization that it should be.
Prior to the pandemic, laws were passed to mandate an Infection Preventionist in Long Term Care yet LTC’s still don’t have enough HCWs to provide the physical care to residents, let alone ensuring that the IP is strictly performing infection prevention activities.
Last fall, I participated in a Symposium supported by Healthcare Hygiene magazine. The topic I spoke about was infection prevention beyond the acute care setting. Not just Long Term Care or Ambulatory Surgery, but what is the state of IP & C beyond Acute Care. Who is minding IP &C practices in dental offices, doctor’s offices, day cares (adult and child), and how is Infection Prevention being promoted in businesses now that the ”emergency” is ending? Too many people think that Infection Prevention is solely for Healthcare and don’t view the necessity beyond this space.
I searched the internet asking the question “how many times was an Infection Preventionist interviewed by media during the pandemic?" Unfortunately, there was no answer. I know of 3, two I did. One for a Canadian talk show host and the other down in Virginia for a newspaper reporter. The third, APIC’s President in 2021, Anne Marie Pettis was on a news station in Virginia. It was also interesting to note that it was rarely mentioned, if at all, that there are laws related to public health safety which includes the prevention of transmission in communities.
Infection Preventionist are the experts in the implementation of measures to control transmission of infection. This is a part of the daily routine. Talking with HCWs, patients, their families and visitors, as to the importance of hand hygiene, the use of masks, gowns and gloves if needed, and yet there was little presence in the media. Frequently, as I think about this, IP’s have a better way of communicating with the public and I tend to think we are less intimidating.
During the pandemic we not only saw an increased need for infection prevention and control but a mass exodus of IPs that were close to retirement, thus leaving the many new IPs with larger than life learning curves.
Most HAIs rose during the pandemic and now IPs are working to bring them down to pre-pandemic numbers.
But now to the real point of this, how do we foster and encourage professionals to become an Infection Preventionist when all to often, the position is underpaid, the department is understaffed, training and resources are not readily available or the employer doesn’t want to pay for the necessary tools and the position may not be given the “authority” it needs to do the job of protecting patients, visitors and the HCWs. And this is in Acute care! Promoting IP & C beyond the Acute care and healthcare also should be supported. We all want to feel valued in our profession and position.
This is my opinion: the position should report to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), even if there is one IP, the title should be that of a Director. Within some organizations, the head of the department may be at a Vice President level. This is due to the scope and depth of role and responsibilities.
It is time for IP & C to stay in the forefront and not to fall back to pre- pandemic status.
How do we do this? One thought is to obtain funding from Congress, or state legislation, the NIH, National APIC and SHEA for public advertising on television, social media, billboards, I am not sure but somehow we need to keep IP & C front and center so we are prepared for the next global pandemic.
(P.S. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, C. auris continued to emerge)
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