[nigel-oh@bigpond.com]

Morning all,

Missing from the conversation is the multiplicity of the IPC Clinical Lead in RACF.
Whist it is true, there are many Allied Health Professionals who ma be suited for the IPC role; however, are they suited for aged care?
As the appointed lead for our 176 bed facility; I wear 3 hats. Divisive of my time is education, mentoring, assessing, auditing and surveillance. My paid role is NP candidate (Palliative Care/ Gerontology)- Clinical Nurse Specialist. In this role I have accountability for AMS, leading and coordinating a team of 12 IPC champions across all departments, report writing and work with ACT Health in the portfolio one day week coordinating all 30 facilities (2432 residents) maintaining COVID free environments within all aged care facilities.
My day job along with managing clinical events; allows me to implement cultural change; seeing things through an IPC lens. At the bedside, in the tea room, walking down corridors, discussing issues at consumer forums, visiting kitchen services, loitering with intent with the house hold staff, folding sheets in the laundry, educating GPs on PPE, orientating new staff, mock trials of OMP. All are done within the scope of my role.
Its NOT separate, IPC is inclusive. We need to move from a silo mentality suggesting that IPC in an acute care setting is the same as aged care! We have shared bathrooms, 8 to a room, some facilities have 15 residents share a bank of bathrooms. We need to let go of a one size fits all approach and remove the wood to see the trees.
The knee jerk reaction of the Commonwealth to appoint an IPC clinical lead as an RN; is a strategic and pivotal step in seeing aged care as primary and important. A move to authenticate and appreciate our older Australians are deserving of excellence in quality and safe care; not just in an acute hospital.
Aged Cares alignment with National Quality Indicators and the Commonwealths commitment; ensures issues in the Royal Commission are on the way to being addressed.
IPC is not separate, it is a lens. The more we understand the cultural change; the less burdensome for facilities.
I can only do my comprehensive role with the backing of a committed IPC team. When we stop, regroup, see things from a different angle; reset and ask for guidance and assistance; IPC becomes embedded through the very fabric of all things aged care.
In closing. Its not about who can do the role. Its about the RNs capabilities to work collaboratively across all domains. In roles in management, youre doing it already! If youre an educator, youre doing it already, if youre a senior clinician, youre doing it already. Aged care has been and continues to report on AMS, infection rates and worked closely with jurisdictional CDCs in outbreak management LONG BEFORE COVID and will continue to work within the pandemic crisis!
Lessons have been learnt!
rom all accounts both Commonwealth and State in the crisis in aged care in NSW and Victoria; experts were needed; yet it was the aged care workforce comprised of committed individuals who live what they do; that put an end to the crisis. Appointment of that clinical lead (RN) ensures that cultural change on a daily basis of correction, discussion, research, data, asking questions, surveillance and education; all within the process of the multiple hats we wear. IPC is not separate, its inclusiveness. Its cultural change and rethinking the way we do things every day. Its not added to its part of what youre doing already. Stop! Think! Do!
Brain storm together. It takes an organisation not just one person.

Nigel McGothigan
Clinical Nurse Specialist
IPC Clinical Lead
St Andrews Village
Hughes, ACT

Sent from my iPhone

> On 21 Apr 2021, at 09:13, Nigel McGothigan wrote:
>
> Morning all,
>
> Missing from the conversation is the multiplicity of the IPC Clinical Lead in RACF.
> Whist it is true, there are many Allied Health Professionals who ma be suited for the IPC role; however, are they suited for aged care?
> As the appointed lead for our 176 bed facility; I wear 3 hats. Divisive of my time is education, mentoring, assessing, auditing and surveillance. My paid role is NP candidate (Palliative Care/ Gerontology)- Clinical Nurse Specialist. In this role I have accountability for AMS, leading and coordinating a team of 12 IPC champions across all departments, report writing and work with ACT Health in the portfolio one day week coordinating all 30 facilities (2432 residents) maintaining COVID free environments within all aged care facilities.
> My day job along with managing clinical events; allows me to implement cultural change; seeing things through an IPC lens. At the bedside, in the tea room, walking down corridors, discussing issues at consumer forums, visiting kitchen services, loitering with intent with the house hold staff, folding sheets in the laundry, educating GPs on PPE, orientating new staff, mock trials of OMP. All are done within the scope of my role.
> Its NOT separate, IPC is inclusive. We need to move from a silo mentality suggesting that IPC in an acute care setting is the same as aged care! We have shared bathrooms, 8 to a room, some facilities have 15 residents share a bank of bathrooms. We need to let go of a one size fits all approach and remove the wood to see the trees.
> The knee jerk reaction of the Commonwealth to appoint an IPC clinical lead as an RN; is a strategic and pivotal step in seeing aged care as primary and important. A move to authenticate and appreciate our older Australians are deserving of excellence in quality and safe care; not just in an acute hospital.
> Aged Cares alignment with National Quality Indicators and the Commonwealths commitment; ensures issues in the Royal Commission are on the way to being addressed.
> IPC is not separate, it is a lens. The more we understand the cultural change; the less burdensome for facilities.
> I can only do my comprehensive role with the backing of a committed IPC team. When we stop, regroup, see things from a different angle; reset and ask for guidance and assistance; IPC becomes embedded through the very fabric of all things aged care.
> In closing. Its not about who can do the role. Its about the RNs capabilities to work collaboratively across all domains. In roles in management, youre doing it already! If youre an educator, youre doing it already, if youre a senior clinician, youre doing it already. Aged care has been and continues to report on AMS, infection rates and worked closely with jurisdictional CDCs in outbreak management LONG BEFORE COVID and will continue to work within the pandemic crisis!
> Lessons have been learnt!
> rom all accounts both Commonwealth and State in the crisis in aged care in NSW and Victoria; experts were needed; yet it was the aged care workforce comprised of committed individuals who live what they do; that put an end to the crisis. Appointment of that clinical lead (RN) ensures that cultural change on a daily basis of correction, discussion, research, data, asking questions, surveillance and education; all within the process of the multiple hats we wear. IPC is not separate, its inclusiveness. Its cultural change and rethinking the way we do things every day. Its not added to its part of what youre doing already. Stop! Think! Do!
> Brain storm together. It takes an organisation not just one person.
>
> Nige
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On 20 Apr 2021, at 17:05, mgoodson mgoodson wrote:
>>
>> Dear All,
>> I’m reading the development of the conversation about who could take an IPC role with interest.
>> If other health professionals can take over the role of the RN IPC person, let’s have
>> an RN running the Haematology department or the Microbiology department.
>> After all, if skill mix is so transferable, why not allow RN’s to run pathology departments.
>> The departments are all automated these days and I’ve heard many pathology staff
>> complain it’s so boring pushing a calibration button or an analyse button and just
>> waiting for the results to print off. And while we’re at it, RN’s can take over the role
>> of podiatrists too. RN’s study anatomy, do a basic surgery rotation, know well how to
>> set up and use small instrument trays, so couldn’t someones’ example of a Podiatrist being an
>> excellent IPC appointee be argued toward an RN being an excellent Podiatrist.
>> The answer is no, the skills are not transferable across health professional roles.
>>
>> I know the difference. I trained as an RN, specialised in Intensive care, then went and studied
>> my Clinical Laboratory Science degree in the medical sciences and as both an RN and
>> Laboratory Scientist, I can say a laboratory scientist is not a suitable appointee as an
>> IPC person in a hospial with a role across patient care planning, acuity understanding,
>> family interaction, advising on antibiotic stewardship wrt past Hx, current treatment and
>> changes of care. The statement already given that IPC positions need to be opened up to
>> other health professionals because it cuts out other health care professionals’ career options
>> is superficial and invalid when considering the different Allied Health Care preparation and
>> skill mix. Wanting to fill a vacant position by changing the role requirement to open it up
>> to other allied health persons is not a professional nor safe course of action.
>> The conversation promoting the ACIPC to ‘get behind’ the push for non-RN’s
>> to be appointed to ICP roles is a huge red flag and I’d think the Medical Insurance companies,
>> the ANF, the State nursing unions, all AHPRA registered nurses, RN members of the ACIPC,
>> and Nurse Advisors to the Ministers in all States would have a few things to say about that idea.
>> I don’t support Allied Health professionals and Laboratory Scientists taking the ICP lead roles
>> in Australa health care facilities.
>>
>> Margaret Goodson
>> RN(AHPRA), BAppSc(ClinLabSc),MEd,PhD(Ed),GCDRMed(UTS),
>> Intensive Care Cert(NSWCN), Stomal Therapy Cert (SydH),
>> CertIVTAE & LLN, MACIPC.
>> IPC Coordinator
>> Manly Waters Private Hospital
>> Manly, Sydney, NSW.
>> EM: mgoodson@bigpond.com
>>
>>
>>
>> —— Original Message ——
>> From: “Kelly Barton”
>> To: ACIPCLIST@ACIPC.ORG.AU
>> Sent: Friday, 16 Apr, 2021 At 3:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [ACIPC_Infexion_Connexion] IPC lead role requirements
>>
>> Hi Sarah,
>>
>> there are many issues in regards to the IPC lead role mandates, however my experience has been that the federal government is not willing to listen or change their stance on this matter.
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Kelly
>>
>> I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we work and live, and respect their ongoing custodianship of the land. I pay respect to Aboriginal people, and Elders past and present.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Kelly Barton
>>
>> Infection Prevention & Control Officer
>>
>> RN BHSc (Nursing). Grad Cert (Infection Control)(Advanced Acute Care). Nurse Immuniser. Cert IV T&A
>>
>> Email: kelly.barton@alpinehealth.org.au
>>
>> Office: 03 5751 9364
>>
>> Mobile: 0409 885 002
>>
>> Fax: 03 5751 9396
>>
>> Address: 30 ODonnell Ave, Myrtleford VIC 3737
>>
>> Website: http://www.alpinehealth.org.au
>>
>> P Reduce, re-use, recycle. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: ACIPC Infexion Connexion On Behalf Of Sarah Gaines Hill
>> Sent: Thursday, 15 April 2021 9:49 AM
>> To: ACIPCLIST@ACIPC.ORG.AU
>> Subject: Re: [ACIPC_Infexion_Connexion] IPC lead role requirements
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks Fiona I am aware of this. The issue is nurses in aged care are few and far between and therefore recruiting and using their time for IP work is a huge struggle.
>>
>> There needs to be a change in IP requirements in general to allow non-nursing to perform the role as well.
>>
>> Sarah
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Sarah
>>
>> Gaines Hill
>>
>> Infection Control Nurse Coordinator
>>
>> P: +61 3 9828 1705
>>
>> |
>>
>> M: +61 429 480 183
>>
>> Level 1, 117 Camberwell Road,
>>
>> Hawthorn East,
>>
>> VIC
>>
>> 3123
>>
>>
>>
>> From: ACIPC Infexion Connexion On Behalf Of Wilson, Fiona L (TIPCU)
>> Sent: Thursday, 15 April 2021 9:44 AM
>> To: ACIPCLIST@ACIPC.ORG.AU
>> Subject: Re: [ACIPC_Infexion_Connexion] IPC lead role requirements
>>
>>
>>
>> Hello Sarah the site on the Australian Government website around IPC leads in RACF does state that the IPC lead must be a nurse.
>>
>> See https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/infection-prevention-and-control-leads for the specific requirements.
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards
>>
>>
>>
>> Fiona Wilson I Nurse Manager TIPCU
>> Public Health Services I Department of Health
>>
>> 3/25Argyle St Hobart, GPO Box 125 Hobart 7001
>>
>> Phone (03) 6166 0601| Mobile 0439 014 634 | Fax (03) 6173 0821
>> Prevention is better than cure
>> I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we work and live, and respect their ongoing custodianship of the land. I pay respect to Tasmanian Aboriginal people, and Elders past and present.
>>
>>
>> From: ACIPC Infexion Connexion On Behalf Of Sarah Gaines Hill
>> Sent: Wednesday, 14 April 2021 1:13 PM
>> To: ACIPCLIST@ACIPC.ORG.AU
>> Subject: [ACIPC_Infexion_Connexion] IPC lead role requirements
>>
>>
>>
>> Good Afternoon fellow Ips!
>>
>> A few weeks ago there was some discussion in this forum about the requirements for IPC leads at Aged Care facilities had to be RN/EN.
>>
>> It was mentioned that there would be recommendations to change this. You do not need to be an RN/EN to be a great IP. I have worked with many who had a science degree but not licensed practitioners who were fantastic.
>>
>> We are really struggling to fill positions that have been left as our RN/EN pool is very small.
>>
>> Does anyone remember the discussion or have a response?
>>
>> Is this something this college would be willing to get behind as a voice to help aged care facilities with this. I believe this will be an ongoing struggle if we are tied in this way.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Sarah
>>
>>
>>
>> Sarah
>>
>> Gaines Hill
>>
>> Infection Control Nurse Coordinator
>>
>> P: +61 3 9828 1705
>>
>> |
>>
>> M: +61 429 480 183
>>
>> Level 1, 117 Camberwell Road,
>>
>> Hawthorn East,
>>
>> VIC
>>
>> 3123
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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