Summer 2025

Development of antimicrobial stewardship competencies: A pan-Canadian framework for nurses

Background: Recent evidence highlights the critical influence nurses may have in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). However, nurses’ express knowledge gaps and a lack of confidence in leading AMS ...

Pursuit of long-term care certification in infection prevention: A community of practice approach

ABSTRACT: Pairing lectures with an engaging virtual community of practice can significantly boost the confidence and interest of infection prevention and control (IPAC) leads in long-term care settings to pursue the long-term care certification in infection prevention and control (LTC-CIP). Providing adult learners the opportunity to clarify concepts within a community of practice is an effective supplement to didactic lecture-based learning in supporting their pursuit of ...

Survey said! LTC-CIP certificant’s perspective with passing the certification exam

Background: The gravity of infections in long-term care (LTC) settings was first recognized in the 1980s, leading to the development of infection control programs, the evolving infection control practitioner role, and increasing regulatory requirements (Smith & Rusnak, ...

The importance of post-outbreak debriefing in strengthening the infection prevention and control program in congregate living settings

Background: Debriefing is an essential component of outbreak management – an opportunity to evaluate response measures, discuss what worked well, and identify gaps and areas for improvement. This study aimed to assess whether post-outbreak debriefing is practiced in long-term care (LTC) and retirement homes (RHs) and to explore its role and value in strengthening outbreak response ...

Models of after-hours infection prevention and control staffing levels: navigating scheduling challenges across facilities

ABSTRACT: Infection prevention and control (IPAC) staffing models vary widely across Canadian healthcare facilities. To explore this variation, a national survey was conducted in March 2025 through the IPAC Canada network. The survey explored staffing models, coverage patterns, and key operational challenges across different facility types. Most respondents reported at least some evening or weekend IPAC coverage. Increasing workload demands post-pandemic and difficulties with recruitment and retention emerged as common staffing barriers. These findings underscore the need for national guidance and strategic collaboration to support consistent, adequate, and sustainable IPAC staffing across healthcare ...