Educational Resources and Tools for Wisconsin Nursing Home Infection Preventionists

The resources and tools below were developed to offer foundational educational trainings, provide access to evidence based tools, and assist nursing home infection preventionists in the implementation of the Antibiotic Surveillance Core Measures in Wisconsin nursing homes.

Antibiotic Tracking & Reporting Resources

An effective nursing home antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) requires consistent tracking and reporting of antibiotic use and antibiotic-related outcomes. The Wisconsin Healthcare-Associated Infections in Long-Term Care Coalition has identified core measures that will help standardize the tracking and reporting of antibiotic use in nursing homes (NHs). This section of the website provides access to:

Member Access to the WI Nursing Home Quality Collaborative,
Information about the Antibiotic Surveillance Core Measures for Wisconsin Nursing Homes, and
Wisconsin Line List & Reporting Tool

Antibiotic Timeout Tools

Antibiotics are necessary for fighting existing infection and preventing infection in certain people. Research has shown that the quality of antibiotic prescribing in nursing homes could be improved. Appropriateness of prescribing, as defined by both Loeb and McGeer criteria, was met in less than 50% of antibiotic prescriptions. The duration of therapy also exceeded recommendations in “a large number of cases”. The Optimizing Antibiotic Stewardship In Skilled Nursing Facilities (OASIS) initiative identified tools to improve antibiotic prescribing in nursing homes by facilitating antibiotic decision-making focusing on:

The initial antibiotic decision before an antibiotic is prescribed, and
A subsequent review of the antibiotic order after the antibiotic is prescribed.

Training the Next Generation of Wisconsin Nursing Home Infection Preventionists

Training the Next Generation of Wisconsin Nursing Home Infection Preventionists complements the CDC course. Nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and other healthcare professionals working in nursing homes will enhance their knowledge, competence, and confidence as they engage with the course content.

In response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requirement that each nursing home have at least one Infection Preventionist with specialized training, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) developed the Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course. Even so, there continues to be a desperate need for infection prevention training.

Wisconsin UTI Toolkit

The goals of the Wisconsin Long-Term Care Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Toolkit, created by the Wisconsin Healthcare-Associated Infections in Long-Term Care Coalition are to help long-term care facilities:

Standardize the assessment and communication of findings in residents experiencing a change-in-condition where UTI is suspected.
Promote the use of active monitoring and delay of urine testing and antibiotic treatment among residents where the risk of UTI is low.
Promote the appropriate use of antibiotics (drug, dose, duration) in residents where the risk of UTI is high.