A patient enters the hospital thinking of it as a place where all his ailments will end and return back home bouncing to life again. But it is a bitter fact that today most of the patients can get infections in hospital while they are being treated for something else. These infections can have devastating emotional, financial and medical effects. Worst of all they can be deadly. Preventing health care infections is a challenge for hospitals today. If all the members of the health care team adhere to correct infection control and prevention practices, then we can minimize or prevent the risk of transmission of infections to our patients, our visitors and our staff.
With this view, to strengthen the infection control practices which are an under-recognized and under-supported aspect of healthcare even in this era of superbugs and outbreaks of Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI), the Department of Nursing Services at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center conducted Infection Control Workshop: Stepping up towards Successful Infection Prevention and Control on June 15, 2014. It was conducted as a second level stepping up program, the first level being Infection Control Certification Program which is a distance education program spanning over a period of eight weeks. The workshop was conducted for the Infection Control Nurses and Registered Nurses.
Sixty-six delegates from various parts of the country attended the workshop. Bri. Sai Bala, Nursing Director, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, addressed the gathering followed by a session on Leading Best Practices: Styles for Best Outcome. She stressed on the leadership skills essential for the Infection Control Nurses and methods to encourage the others to stick on to the Infection Prevention Practices. She also shared insight into their leadership style through various activities and exercises and encouraging them to draw inspiration from various powerful real life leaders.
A session on Communication – The Art of Engagement by Mrs. Anitha Rajah, Clinical Psychologist and Consultant, Piramal Foundation for Educational Leadership, Rajasthan, emphasized on the essence of communication which is the foundation of all interpersonal relationships which is rapidly evaporating from today’s world.
Ramanathan Gopalakrishnan, Regional Market Development Manager-APAC, Infection Prevention Division, 3M India Limited, expanded on Cost Benefit Analysis- How to decide on strategies and Products. This was followed by a session on Surveillance Challenges in Infection Control and Infection Control Audit Tools by Dr. Anoop R. Warrier, ID Specialist, Aster Medcity, Kochi. He addressed the challenges in Infection Prevention in today’s world and innovative tools in monitoring HAI’s.
Dr. Shareek P. S., ID Specialist, SUT Group of Hospitals in his session on Outbreak- Detection and Control discussed on formation and functioning of outbreak control teams. Instruments to Ensure Quality in Infection Control was explained by Dr. Sanjeev K. Singh, Medical Superintendent, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center. In the session, he effectively enabled the delegates to acquire skills in designing and utilizing various tools with the help of activities and exercises.
A vibrant quiz competition “Kaun Banega Gyanpathi” hosted by Sreejith S., Territory Manager, Johnson and Johnson Limited staged active participation from all delegates. Prizes were distributed to the first and second prize winners in the quiz competition. Poster presentations were done by a team from Fortis Health Care, Bangalore represented by Leema Pushparaj, Bhavya, Thejasvini and Priyadarshini and from Lekshmi Hospital, Ernakulam represented by Ambily U. G.
June 15, 2014
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi
