Addressing infection control in pre‐registration mental health nurse training
Date | 18 May 2009 |
Pages | 3-10 |
Published date | 18 May 2009 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17556228200900002 |
Author | Gemma Stacey,Mark Cole |
Subject Matter | Health & social care |
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The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice Volume 4 Issue 1 March 2009 © Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Ltd
Addressing infection control in pre-
registration mental health nurse training
Gemma Stacey
Lecturer in Mental Health and Social Care, University of Nottingham
Mark Cole
Lecturer in Infection Control, University of Nottingham
Abstract
Health care associated infection has become a health
service priority that transcends all clinical areas.
Education is commonly cited as the cornerstone
of effective practice on the tacit assumption that
the knowledgeable practitioner will execute their
skills mor e effect ively. Co nsequently, infection
control training has become embedded within
the pre-registration curriculum, however, students
undertaking the mental health branch have been
critical of an unduly adult focus to the topic,
which fails to address their specific educational
requirements. An educational intervention based on
a problem-based learning approach was developed
to address this con tention. The interventio n
received a three-way evaluation from students who
attended the session, a mental health lecturer/
facilitato r a nd an i nfection cont rol educator/
adviser. The results suggest that students were
able to develop salient material, which recognised
the principles of infection control practice, while
placing it in the context of mental health nursing.
The students gave positive feedback in terms of the
mode of teaching and the relevance of the content.
Key words
infec tion contr ol; proble m-based le arning;
pre-registration nurse education
Background
Health care associated infection (HCAI) is a major problem
in contemporary health care (Pittet et al, 2008). It is
thought to affect 10% of United Kingdom inpatients
annually (Hospit al Infection Society, 2007) and is
associated with increased mortality, length of stay and
health care costs (Sheng et al, 2005). Expert opinion
suggests that up to 30% may be preventable by a better
application of good practice (National Audit Office, 2000).
HCAI has the power to cause fear and anxiety for patients
and relatives, it is inextricably linked to how quality
patient care is defined, and has become a touchstone for
public confidence in the National Health Service (Royal
College of Nursing, 2008). The Department of Health
is firmly committed to reducing HCAI (Department of
Health, 2006) and its prevention and control has become
established as one of the top five priority issues in the NHS
2007–2008 Operating Framework.
In its seminal report The Management and Control of
HCAI in Acute Trusts in England, the National Audit Office
(2000) focused on the behaviour of staff in infection
prevention and control and conc luded that there
continues to be widespread non-compliance with good
effective infection control practice. This is supported by a
plethora of empirical studies (Gammon et al, 2007; Hass
& Larson, 2007; Creedon, 2005). Compliance in this study
refers to the extent to which a health care professional
follows the ‘rules’ of infection control (Kretzer & Larson,
1998). A number of studies hold that poor compliance
with infection control is exacerbated by poor knowledge
of policies, procedures and guidelines (Shralkar et al,
2003; Askarian et al, 2005; Pessoa-Silva et al, 2005). As a
result, mandatory infection control training has become a
core component in the national strategy to reduce HCAI
(Healthcare Commission, 2007; Department of Health,
2005). This training is delivered within the pre-and post-
registration curriculum. This paper was conceived out
of a desire to examine how infection control was being
delivered to pre-registration nursing students who were
undertaking the mental health branch of nursing.
The notion that infection prevention and control is
‘everybody’s business’ (Lomas, 2008; Armstrong, 2005)
is based upon the premise that HCAI pervades every
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