The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Hospital Association (AHA), and other organizations are producing Project Firstline, a series of free, online courses on infection prevention and control. Additional program partners include the American Nurses Association, National Association of County and City Health Offices and the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to a press release.
The courses are designed to foster an infection-prevention culture, the AHA said. “The more we can educate healthcare workers on not just what to do, but why, the more likely they will do the right thing every time,” said Marie Cleary-Fishman, AHA’s vice president, clinical quality, and a strategic contributor to the initiative. “When we help staff understand the 'why' behind a process, we see better compliance with policies and procedures.”
Customized to meet the needs of healthcare workers representing a wide range of roles – from acute and long-term care to environmental services to administration – the training materials include 11 video-based training modules that explain not just the recommended infection control practices but the science and reasoning behind them. AHA will complement the training modules with a series of thought leadership editorials, webinars, case studies and more. This work will be led by the AHA Center for Health Innovation.
“Healthcare workers play a crucial role in our nation’s response to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases,” said CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Disease Jay Butler, MD. “It is critical that every health care worker in the United States has the training, information, and resources they need to protect themselves, their patients, colleagues, families, and communities from infections, and Project Firstline is designed to meet that need. Whether a health care worker’s role is in environmental services or in the operating room, infection control is a team effort, and Project Firstline was developed for them.”
