Resources for Infection Preventionists

This section of the HAI website has been included to serve as a single location for multiple infection prevention resources for those working in the healthcare field. The resource categories provided include:

General HAI Resources

Several websites are provided below with general information related to healthcare associated infections and infection control.

Healthcare Associated Infections Fact Sheets

Mandated Data Reporting

Mandated disease reporting is required for facilities in the state of Maine through multiple regulations. The Notifiable Diseases and Conditions list is included below for your convenience with the submission form. The "Public Health Significance Reporting Examples" document is included to assist facilities with reporting clusters and outbreaks of public health significance. This is not an all-encompassing list and is only meant to serve as a guide. Additional reporting for the state of Maine by Acute Care and Critical Access hospitals is required through Chapter 270. Federally, the reporting schedule per CMS rules is included below.

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Surveillance

Surveillance is an essential component of infection prevention and control. Resources are provided below for reporting through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), which has the capacity for reporting for Acute Care Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Long-term Acute Care Facilities, Long-Term Care Facilities, Outpatient Dialysis Facilities, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities. Long-Term Care facilities may also choose to utilize McGeer's Criteria for surveillance instead of NHSN.

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Hand Hygiene

General hand hygiene resources are included below along with auditing and competency tools.

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Environmental Cleaning

General environmental cleaning resources are provided along with auditing tools. It is important to select appropriate environmental cleaning products to ensure they can eliminate the bacteria, viruses, and fungi necessary for your facility. It is also essential that staff know the contact times for the disinfectants being used and are adhering to these times during environmental cleaning.

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

See below for guidance on selecting the appropriate PPE by disease type and instructions for proper donning and doffing of materials. Additional resources include auditing and competency tools.

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Injection Safety

General resources for injection safety are included below along with steps for evaluating an infection control breach, a patient notification toolkit, and competency tools.

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Antibiotic Stewardship

Antibiotic Stewardship refers to the coordinated approach to promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials in an effort to improve patient outcomes, reduce microbial resistance, and decrease the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms. There are multiple core elements that are necessary for implementing a successful Antibiotic Stewardship program. See below for program guides by facility type.

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Inter-Facility Communications Tools

Inter-facility communication of possible healthcare-associated infections and multidrug-resistant organisms is important during transitions of care for both the recognition and prevention of these infections. See below for tools to assist with this process.

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Infection Control Assessment Tools

The CDC has developed Infection Control Assessment Tools to assist health departments in assessing infection prevention practices and to guide quality improvement activities. Healthcare facilities may also use these tools to conduct internal quality improvement audits. If you are interested in having someone from the Maine CDC Healthcare Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance department visit your facility to consult on this tool and general facility infection control, please call (207) 287-6028.

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Education and Training

The Maine Infection Prevention Training for Extended Care is a great free resource if you are looking for basic infection control training. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) also have many resources for education both in-person and online. Maine's APIC chapter, known as the APIC Pine Tree Chapter, provides education through monthly meetings for members at Maine General Medical Center in Augusta. The APIC Pine Tree chapter also holds bi-annual conferences.

  • Maine Infection Prevention Training for Extended Care - https://maineinfectionpreventionforum.org/
    • Infection Prevention and Control for Extended Care Facilities: 5-module, 8-hour FREE online training that can be completed at your own pace. The training does not need to be completed in one sitting, you can log in and out at your convenience. The modules included are as follows: Disease Surveillance Overview, General Infection Prevention and Control, Antibiotic Stewardship, Surveillance and Data Collection, and Performance Improvement. A certificate of completion is provided after finishing the training.
    • Continuing Education Courses
      • Biological Hazards: Module covers OSHA regulation topics for Biological Hazards in long-term care facilities (1.5 hours)
      • Bloodborne Pathogens for Clinical Staff: Module covers OSHA regulation topics for Bloodborne Pathogens for staff who are involved in direct patient care (1.5 hours)
      • Bloodborne Pathogens for Non-Clinical Staff: Module covers OSHA regulation topics for Bloodborne Pathogens for non-clinical staff (1.5 hours)
  • CDC Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training – Free, online training with the opportunity to earn CME, CNE, or CEUs.
  • Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Education - https://apic.org/Education-and-Events/Overview
  • APIC Pine Tree Chapter - https://community.apic.org/pinetree/home
  • Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology - https://www.cbic.org/

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