FREE ONLINE COURSES FOR RN's & LVN's

Program Description: This course will provide a free infection control course  for individuals who require free infection control continuing education programs in nursing homes so they can effectively implement their programs and ensure adherence to recommended practices by front-line staff. The course will include information about the core activities of an effective IPC program, with a detailed explanation of recommended IPC practices to prevent pathogen transmission and reduce healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic resistance in nursing homes. Additionally, this course will provide helpful implementation resources (e.g., training tools, checklists, signs, and policy and procedure templates).

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to:

1. Identify the ways pathogens spread in nursing homes.
2. List risk factors among nursing home residents that contribute to the development of healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic resistance.
3. Identify recommended infection prevention and control (IPC) practices for the detection, prevention, and control of pathogen transmission in nursing homes.
4. Identify strategies for implementing the core activities of the IPC program.
5. Describe how the infection preventionist (IP) works with nursing home staff and key partners (e.g., QAA committee, health departments, consultants) to implement IPC practices.

Target Audience: This training was developed for the individual(s) responsible for IPC programs in nursing homes. However, it includes content that will be helpful for: physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical/vocational nurses, nursing home administrators, program managers, and other health educators. ** **

What Are the Benefits of This Training?

• It is free and flexible: The modules can be completed in any order and over multiple sessions, depending on the learner’s schedule.
• You can earn continuing education credit.
  
  • Even if you chose not to obtain continuing education credit, you can still get a certificate of completion for each module once you mark it complete in TRAIN.

What Topics Are Addressed?
The Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course is made up of 24 modules and submodules addressing a variety of topics including an overview of the IPC program and the role of the infection preventionist, infection surveillance and outbreak management, infection prevention practices such as hand hygiene, and antibiotic stewardship. The full list of course modules and estimated time to completion can be found below.

How Long Does It Take?
The average time to complete each module ranges from 30 to 90 minutes. The total time to complete the course is estimated at 20 hours.

Prerequisites:
The audience will need to have background knowledge in types of care provided in a nursing home, as a professional (e.g., physician, nurse) working in a nursing home would have.

Faculty/Credentials:

Abimbola Ogundimu, DrPH, RN, CIC, CPHQ, Infection Preventionist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Melissa Schaefer, MD, Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nimalie Stone, MD, MS, Medical Officer / Team Lead for Long-term Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CE Number : WB4448R

Origination Date: October 1, 2023

Expiration Date: October 1, 2025

Continuing Education (CE)

If you wish to earn continuing education (CME, CNE, or CEUs) you must first register for the Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course by selecting the Register button at the top right of this page. After registering for the course, you must complete all 24 modules and submodules, a post-course evaluation, and pass a post-course examination.

Information on how to access the evaluation, and posttest are provided in the “Completion for Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course”, which can only be accessed once all 24 modules are completed. This course will launch a PDF which provides you with directions to completing the evaluation and post-assessment.

Certificate of Completion If you chose not to obtain continuing education credit, you can still get a certificate of completion for each module once you mark it complete in TRAIN. The only way to obtain an overall certificate of completion is to follow the directions for obtaining CE.

Marking Modules Complete Modules do not auto-complete. Upon completing each module, you must select the Mark Complete button on the module launch page. If you have issues completing the module, please follow the directions in the handout under the resources tab PRIOR to contacting the CDC TRAIN email box.

ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. **

CME: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 19.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CNE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this activity for 19.75 nursing contact hours.

CEU: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is authorized by IACET to offer 2.0 CEU's for this program.

DISCLOSURE:
In compliance with continuing education requirements, all presenters must disclose any financial or other associations with the manufacturers of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services, or commercial supporters as well as any use of unlabeled product(s) or product(s) under investigational use.

CDC, our planners, our content experts, and their spouses/partners wish to disclose they have no financial interests or other relationships with the manufacturers of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services, or commercial supporters. Planners have reviewed content to ensure there is no bias.

Content will not include any discussion of the unlabeled use of a product or a product under investigational use.

CDC did not accept commercial support for this continuing education activity.

FEES: No fees are charged for CDC’s CE activities.

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Continuing Education Credit is Available!

• Nurses: This nursing continuing professional development activity is provided by the Community College of Rhode Island for 2.0 nursing contact hours. The Community College of Rhode Island is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Northeast Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Expiration Date: July 1, 2026

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This training plan was developed by the Public Health Foundation in collaboration with MPH student and Fulbright Scholar, Natalia Babenko. Created August, 2022.

Last Updated January, 2025.