Lessons from the Trenches!

Fiona NemetzSystem Director EVS, Safety and Security Northside HealthcareAtlanta, GA

Session Objectives• Review the challenges with the applications of guidelines

and clinical recommendations across the continuum of care.

• Discuss the importance of interprofessional collaboration on a comprehensive infection prevention and control program to address the clinical environment of care.

• Review the use of performance metrics and data to drive standardization, improvements in clinical practice, and healthcare quality outcomes.

Collaborating to Apply the Guidelines

What type of disinfection products are you using where? Do staff understand the dwell times? Was it approved by Infection Prevention?

Does The EVS department have separate competencies for the various environments?

How is EVS and IP partnering to validate cleaning efficacy?

Training of Front Line Professionals

Comprehensive Training

Onboarding

Cleaning process-chemicals, micro-fiber

& understanding isolation

Customer service-patient

communication

Standards of behavior-importance of

communication with leadership

Role play-validation of training

Scripting cards

Tools to get the job done

Schedules/Assignments-Equity

Staff assignment sheet

Effective Solutions-importance of efficiency and sanitary delivery

Hand Hygiene-Importance & Monitoring?

Breaking the chain of transmission-Importance of high touch surfaces and Micro-Fiber

Infection Prevention partnership-key for success for EVS professionals

Significance of overbed table

Cleaning Considerations

What type of patients?

Does it require terminal cleaning? Does EVS know isolation status?

Do the EVS professionals have the tools to get the job done?

Cleaning Validation and efficacy

Alternative Technologies

Ultraviolet Light Machines

Importance of collaboration with Infection Prevention

Does EVS management sit on Infection Prevention Committee? Make sure you have a seat at the right table!

Is management conducting daily rounds on nursing units? Minimum #of inspections and measurement. How often are EVS & IP rounding?

Data collection-leveraging for sucess

EVS Leadership with ownership and partnership drives success!

Cleaning

Accountability

Leadership Collaboration

• Discharge• Daily• Staff assignment sheets

• Inspections• Validation technology

• Infection Prevention Collaboration

• EVS leadership needs to be included in project planning for expansions and renovations

Challenges with cleaning operating rooms

Departmental communication amongst leaders

Leadership-key to great EVS outcomes

ownership Staff engagement communication

passion advocacy

Environment product selections to embrace reduced transmission potential

Hard Surface Flooring VS Carpet

Vinyl Upholstery VS Fabric

Formica/Corian VS Wood

Patient surveys

Cleanable & Maintainable

Legionella Plan

10/10/2017 27

Lots of Heavy Lifting to prevent ongoing transmission

Committed Leadership from EVS & IP

Questions?