Using Simulation Technology as a Novel Prevention Tool to Combat Health Care-Associated Infections

Abstract

Contact-related health care-associated infections (HAI) pose a significant threat to the morbidity and mortality of nursing home residents. The improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by nursing home staff has been identified as a factor in spreading contact-related HAIs to nursing home residents. The improper use of PPE contributes to undesirable resident health outcomes and poor resident safety practices associated with contact-related HAIs. The ability to measure PPE competency levels of nursing home staff is relatively unaddressed in the literature.

This research surmises that the ability to measure PPE competency levels of nursing home staff may lead to interventions that could reduce the risk of contact-related HAIs during physical contact between nursing home staff and residents. This study looks at one type of nursing home staff, the certified nursing assistant (CNA), and their competency levels in the use of PPE.

This research utilizes a novel methodology of clinical simulation technology combined with a PPE Rating Tool, SimPPERT (Simulation + PPE Rating Tool). This two-phase study evaluated the validity, reliability, and feasibility of using SimPPERT to measure PPE competency levels in a clinical simulation laboratory and in nursing homes. Phase I the validity and reliability of SimPPERT in a clinical simulation laboratory controlled experiment. Phase II examined the feasibility of utilizing SimPPERT with CNAs in the nursing home setting.

The ability to measure CNA PPE competency levels in nursing homes may provide a mechanism to identify deficiencies in PPE competency levels, analyze and identify the extent of those deficiencies, and provide insight and recommendations to improve resident health outcomes and safety related to contact-related HAIs in nursing homes.