In the 70 years since the first antibiotics where developed to treat common bacterial infections, resistance to these “wonder” drugs has increased due to overuse and misuse. This has led to the rise of "super-bugs" or “multi-drug resistant organisms” that are not treatable by any antibiotic. If not addressed, antibiotic resistance will result in people dying from simple bacterial infections. This module will describe multi-drug resistant organisms, how they affect the residents in your facility, and what you can do to help control their spread.

Unsafe injection practices have led to large outbreaks of bloodborne pathogens. It is critical that best practices for safe injections and blood glucose monitoring are followed without exception. We will look at factors that contribute to the misuse of injection equipment, and a special program health care personnel can utilize to address this problem: the One and Only Campaign.

Until recently, the role of the environment in disease transmission has been thought to be insignificant. Recent studies have shown that several major pathogens, like MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and norovirus, are shed by colonized and infected residents and contaminate surfaces at levels sufficient for disease transmission. This module will examine best practices for cleaning and disinfection.

This module you will learn about the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among nursing home residents and prevention strategies for helping residents stay healthy and UTI free.

Preventing Clostridium difficile infection and transmission continues to represent a serious challenge in infection prevention and nursing home resident safety. In this module, you will learn about how C. difficile is spread and best practices for preventing the spread of the germ in your facility.