Principles and practice of Infection Prevention and Control

This course will cover topics including:

• Applied microbiology and antimicrobial resistance
• The infection process and mechanisms of pathogenicity
• Principles of epidemiology
• Transmission of healthcare associated infections
• Natural defences against infection and identifying patients at risk
• Strategies used to prevent and control infection
• Maintaining a clean environment, cleaning and decontamination, managing waste and linen
• Multi-resistant pathogens - trends and prevention strategies
• Quality governance and the role of infection control targets
• Embedding effective infection control practice using audit and surveillance
• Legal framework for preventing healthcare associated infections

A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be used to enable you to develop knowledge and skills in this subject area. These will include lectures, discussion groups and tutorials as well as online and web-based learning.

You will be encouraged to reflect and share your own experience from practice throughout the course.

Assessment will be based on one written assignment that will critically analyse a defined area of infection prevention and control practice which is relevant to your area of employment.