[sraffle@hotmail.com]

Hi everyone,

I completely agree with your concerns Sarah, I cant speak for scientists, but have worked alongside scientists before and see the amazing contribution they make in our field.

I believe it is a broader issue across the IPC field, not just relevant to aged care, as I think it applies to hospitals as well.

I am an experienced podiatrist, and have worked in outpatient wound clinics, inpatient wound clinics, embedded in hospital wards, and ortho clinics, aged care and community health.

I am currently in a health & safety and IPC role, however I’ve not been able to apply for any roles posted in this forum due to the nursing requirement.

I would argue that podiatrists, and other clinical health staff, such as dentists and dental assistants, are just as competent in IPC as an EN/RN.

Podiatrists are University trained (including in infection control, wound care, minor surgeries, instrument reprocessing and aseptic technique), are registered by AHPRA, have ongoing CPD requirements and clinical compliance requirements.

If they can demonstrate knowledge and experience, negotiation and engagement skills, podiatrists do very well in quality and infection control roles. I dont believe there is any reason why a clinician (or other clinical staff), who has relevant experience in aged care or hospitals, would be any less competent in IPC than a nurse.

In my experience there are clinical allied health staff who have poor IPC knowledge, just as there are nurses who similarly have poor IPC knowledge. Conversely, there are clinical staff who have outstanding IPC skills, as there are nurses.

The IPC profession is severely limiting its talent pool by continually restricting all roles to nurses. It is not just nurses that need to adhere to IPC principles in aged care facilities and hospitals, it is a multidisciplinary issue.
So unless you need your IPC staff/lead to backfill nursing roles/hours (which severely detracts from the importance of the IPC role) I think these positions need to be opened up, at the most to having EN/RN as preferred not as an essential requirement of the position.

I appreciate this is a sensitive topic, and appreciate each workplace has its own operational reasons for its staffing decisions, but I believe we should be a profession in our own right, not just a nursing specialisation. I strongly support us getting the right, passionate people in these roles.

Sara Nannery
Sunbury & Cobaw Community Health
OHS, Risk & Infection Control Coordinator

On 14 Apr 2021, at 1:55 pm, Kelly Barton wrote:

Hi Sarah,
The IPC leads have to work within the aged care facility and be familiar with resident acuity and staff mix. I think it would be difficult for a non-clinical person who doesnt work directly with the care staff or residents to understand these.
Regardless of work arrangements, IPC leads must be based on site at their nominated facility. This is to enable the IPC lead to provide advice and oversight as part of ongoing, day-to-day operations and on a localised basis according to facility circumstances (including the resident mix, staff mix, services offered and physical aspects of a facility).

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.

[cid:image001.png@01D3593E.B14EC410]

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: 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
[BlueCross]
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
[BlueCross]

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