Advisory
| Advisory number | AS22/02 |
|---|---|
| Version number | 1.0 |
| TRIM number | D21-38425 |
| Publication date | August 2022 |
| Replaces | Nil |
| Compliance with this advisory | It is mandatory for approved accrediting agencies to implement this Advisory |
| Information in this advisory applies to |
|
| Key relationship | Preventing and Controlling Infections Standard, NSQHS Standards |
| Attachment | Nil |
| Notes | Information on infection prevention and control and hand hygiene training requirements for health service organisations |
| Responsible officer | Margaret Banks Director, National Standards Phone: 1800 304 056 Email: AdviceCentre@safetyandquality.gov.au |
| To be reviewed | December 2026 |
Purpose
To provide health service organisations and accrediting agencies with information on the scope and assessment of workforce training requirements related to infection prevention and control and hand hygiene.
Issue
Infection remains the primary cause of hospital acquired complication and patient harm.
Training is an essential strategy in the ongoing prevention and control of infections in health service organisations.
Actions in the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards relating to training include:
- 1.20 The health service organisation uses its training systems to:
- Assess the competency and training needs of its workforce
- Implement a mandatory training program to meet its requirements arising from these standards
- Provide access to training to meet its safety and quality training needs
- Monitor the workforce’s participation in training
- 3.02 The health service organisation:
- Identifies requirements for, and provides the workforce with, access to training to prevent and control infections
To support health service organisation’s implement training, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care provides them and their workforce with access to online learning modules on infection prevention and control, and hand hygiene.
Requirements
Health service organisations implementing the NSQHS Standards are required to provide their workforce with access to theoretical and practical training that promotes infection prevention and control and hand hygiene.
To meet the requirements of Action 3.02b, health service organisations are required to:
- Implement organisational policies and processes that describe the requirements for theoretical and practical infection prevention and control and hand hygiene training for the organisation’s workforce
- Use information from the local disease epidemiology, organisation’s infection surveillance and risk assessment of local infections to determine the content, frequency and schedule of training
- Monitor and report on workforce participation in infection prevention and control training by healthcare worker group (including but not limited to medical, nursing, allied health, students, non-clinical workforce and managers)
- Demonstrate workforce access to infection prevention and control and hand hygiene training that covers, as minimum:
- the use of standard and transmission-based precautions
- the role of hand hygiene in standard and transmission-based precautions
- the application of the '5 Moments for Hand Hygiene'
- Demonstrate that practical infection prevention and control and hand hygiene training is incorporated into:
- clinical education training frameworks and curricula
- practical competency assessments for procedures requiring aseptic technique
- practical competency assessments for the use of personal protective equipment
- practical training in sharps use and disposal, waste management, used linen handling, and reprocessing of reusable medical devices.