Using banners to deliver mandatory infection control training in acute care

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

In this article…

• Why NHS staff have to do mandatory infection control and prevention training

• How banners provided an alternative way of delivering training during the Covid-19 pandemic

• Result of a pilot to assess the effectiveness of using this approach

Key points

All healthcare workers must do mandatory training in infection prevention and control

A new approach using banners was devised to improve training compliance during the Covid-19 pandemic

Three floor-standing banners were designed and placed in dedicated areas for staff to access

A questionnaire was developed to test staff understanding after viewing the banners

After a successful pilot, this approach is being rolled out across the trust and has proven to be a useful addition to face-to-face and e-learning options

Abstract

All healthcare staff must do mandatory training in infection prevention and control. This article details an alternative approach to delivering training at one NHS acute trust during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using a quality improvement initiative, the infection prevention and control team developed a set of floor-standing retractable information banners to enhance mandatory training. Knowledge was then assessed using multiple-choice questions. The banners were piloted in one clinical division in the trust, with feedback providing the opportunity to revise and improve banner content and questionnaires. The approach has now been rolled out across the trust with plans to add online options to increase accessibility.