There is one day left to register for the free BCCPA workshop titled, Infection Prevention and Control:365 Days a Year, Back to Basics. Brought to you by Medical Pharmacies Group Limited, this workshop will offer participants in depth learning on communicable disease control within a community. If you work in the continuing care sector in BC, you will want to attend this valuable session.
Registration will close Tuesday, September 30 at 12:00pm. This workshop is exclusive to BCCPA service-provider members. To register, please click here.
Workshop Topic:
It is much easier to prevent than it is to control a communicable disease in a community. Hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfection, vaccination are some of the topics to be discussed in order to prevent spread of communicable disease in communities. As we prepare to head back into flu season this fall, join Cynthia Arseneau, Manager of Clinical Education Programs at Medical Pharmacies Group for this valuable workshop.
Workshop Leader:
Cynthia Arseneau, Manager of Clinical Education Programs at Medical Pharmacies Group Limited
Cynthia graduated from the Bathurst School of Nursing in 1996 with a diploma in Nursing. In 2012 she graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Cynthia has also completed Basic Infection Control and Prevention courses at Queens University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from St. Francis Xavier University. Along with her exceptional academic achievements, Cynthia has a great deal of experience educating others on various topics. Most notably, her knowledge and experience include educating others on topics such as Infection Control.
Q&A With Arseneau:
Why is infection and prevention control so important within care homes?
In a care home infection prevention and control is the best way to keep residents and staff happy and healthy. The better we (staff) are at prevention the healthier the lives of our residents that we care for every day. If an illness passes through into the residents of a care home the impact can be seen with residents suffering with symptoms, possible antibiotic use, possible hospitalization and staff shortages as well as staff illness. Infection prevention should become second nature to the staff in a care home in order to do the best we can at caring for our residents.
What are some common misconceptions you often see within care homes when it comes to infection and prevention control?
Sometimes a care home is not seen as a place where an infection prevention and control program has a place. Through research and experience I have discovered that infection prevention and control is integral in our daily lives. When we cook for our families we ensure that we wash our hands after handling food products such as raw meat and after going to the washroom. These types of practices need to become part of everything we do as caregivers in order to keep our residents safe.
What is it that attendees can hope to take away from the workshop?
My hope is that the attendees will have a lot of fun learning about infection prevention and control (yes this is possible) and the importance of always pursuing education.
