UK HealthCare Hospitals Host Mobile Classroom
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 29, 2009) – As part of an ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible patient care and a dedication to staff education, the University of Kentucky Albert B.Chandler Hospital and Kentucky's Children's Hospital hosted the Kimberly-Clark Health Care HAI Education Bus onsite Sept. 28, at the UK Peter P. Bosomworth Health Sciences Research Building in Lexington. The HAI Education Bus is part of a larger initiative by Kimberly-Clark called “Not On My Watch,” a national infection prevention campaign for health care professionals.
Delivering continuing medical education (CME) and continuing education (CE) programs based on the latest research, the HAI Education Bus provides doctors, nurses and other health care professionals with a convenient setting aboard a 45-foot customized bus that includes workstations and is outfitted for video and audio presentations. Here, participants updated their knowledge of health care-associated infections (HAI) through interactive educational programs. On the HAI Education Bus, caregivers had access to expert speakers, group presentations, round table discussions and useful information on preventing infections such as surgical site infection (SSI) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
“HAI is a prevalent issue in health care today and prevention is certainly our top priority," said Sharon Lake, Sharon W. Lake, director of nursing and practice support, UK Chandler Hospital. "We believe that continuing education among our health care professionals about the latest in best practices associated with infection prevention is one of the most effective measures for controlling the risk of HAI. Having Kimberly-Clark’s HAI Education Bus here at our hospitals helped us to balance the time our staff spends on delivering the very best in patient care with access to invaluable educational content.”
Posters and flyers were posted throughout the facility as a reminder of caregivers’ commitment to reducing HAI rates at the hospitals. Patient safety tips were also available to educate community members about the steps they can take to helpprotect themselves or loved ones from infection.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals. In effort to prevent incidence of infection, the UK Chandler Hospital and Kentucky Children's Hospital continually work to ensure patients and staff are benefiting from the latest in educational resources.
UK Chandler Hospital and Kentucky Children's Hospital are recognized for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center ANCC's Magnet Recognition Program which is part of the American Nurses Association (ANA) has recognized both hospitals for several years.
The 2009 ANCC National Magnet Conference, "Magnet: Inspiring Innovation, Achieving Outcomes," will be held Oct. 1-3 in Louisville. UK Chandler Hospital will co-sponsor the annual conference.
For more information about the mobile classroom, go to www.uky.edu/PR/News/09-09-17_HAI_education_bus.pdf. For details about the “Not On My Watch” campaign, and the HAI Education Bus, go to www.HAIwatch.com.