In-person surveys for nursing home facilities have restarted for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. In this last installment of a seven-part series, get tips on how you can help your staff and center be survey ready.
Long-term and post-acute care facilities should have a minimum of one full-time certified infection preventionist on staff who is responsible for the infection prevention control program. This person also ensures that infection prevention personnel in the building are trained and certified in their field of expertise.
The designated infection preventionist(s) must have primary professional training in nursing, medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology or another related field. Facilities must be able to provide documentation of the education or certification of the IP staff.
“The Infection Control Task is huge now,” said one surveyor. “If a facility is prepared with the information, it makes a difference.” (See items 30-36 on the Entrance Conference Worksheet).
Consider randomly quizzing staff to ensure they know how to perform procedures and have staff conduct peer-to-peer reviews.
Infection Prevention Training Resources
- Infection Prevention Training - The CDC Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training course is designed for individuals responsible for infection prevention and control programs in nursing homes.
- Infection Prevention Sustainability Facilitator's Manual - This guide accompanies the two-part Infection Prevention Sustainability webinar series (linked in the manual) designed for use in clinical and non-clinical settings in care facilities.
Other Survey Readiness Topics
Getting Focused – Team and Tools
Staffing, Competencies, Vaccine Tracking & Documentation