CHICA-Canada Educational Opportunities
infection control COURSES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN CANADA
Information for schools offering basic Infection Prevention and Control courses and wishing to obtain endorsement from CHICA-Canada is available here.
CHICA-Canada Online Novice Infection Prevention and Control Course
What is the purpose of this course?
The purpose of this course is to provide Novice Infection Control Professionals (ICPs) with the basic knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to practice Infection Prevention & Control (IP&C) in a broad range of health care environments including, but not limited to, acute care, long-term care, and community care. A ‘Novice’is defined as a professional with less than two years experience in IP&C.
Students in this course will learn how to: (1) identify and describe the scope of IP&C problems and issues for Novice ICPs and, (2) examine and integrate their current expertise with the basic knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to examine these problems and develop practical solutions in IP&C
What content is included in this course?
This course is comprised of 6 independent modules that are 5 – 7 weeks in length with at least one week off in between each module. There is a final practicum as well. Once all 6 modules and the practicum are successfully completed, the student will receive a certificate from CHICA-Canada indicating that they have completed the CHICA-Canada Novice Infection Prevention and Control Course.
Module Content & Dates (including one week break between modules)
- Module 1 (Sept 13 – Oct 31/10): History of IP&C; IP&C Roles and Responsibilities; Teamwork in IP&C; Ethics in IP&C; Hand Hygiene, Routine Practices and Additional Precautions; Personal Protective Equipment; Hierarchy of Controls; Chain of Infection; Pathophysiology of Infection
- Module 2 (Nov 1 – Dec 19/10): Basic Bacteriology and Virology; Infections: Respiratory, Surgical Site, Bloodstream, GI, Urinary Tract, Skin and Soft Tissue; Antibiotic Resistant Organisms; Interpretation of Microbiology Lab Results and Working with the Microbiology Lab
- Module 3 (Jan 10 – Feb 13/11): Teaching and Persuasion; Technical Aspects of Presentations; Policy and Procedure Development; Committee Involvement; Occupational Health
- Module 4 (Feb 14 – Mar 27/11): Surveillance; Analyzing Data; Technical Aspects of Doing Reports
- Module 5 (Mar 28 – May 1/11): Identification of Outbreaks; Managing Outbreaks; Emergency Preparedness
- Module 6 (May 2 – June 5/11): Sterilization and Disinfection; Reuse Issues; Air Handling; Construction and Renovations; Product Evaluation and Tendering
- Final Practicum (complete by June 30/11): Job shadowing with an experienced IP&C professional, time in the microbiology lab to be arranged by the student in consultation with the course instructor
Every week students will read assigned readings, participate in a weekly discussion forum, and complete reflective exercises. There will be 1 – 2 assignments for each module, and a final open book exam that will be taken from home for each module.
The course is completely web-based and is asynchronous. This means that students may log in at times that are convenient for them without concerns about time-differences across Canada. The course is facilitated by both an instructor and an online discussion facilitator who is an ICP in current practice.
How computer literate do you need to be?
As the readings and discussion will be web-based, you will need internet access. The course utilizes the e learning tool, Desire2Learn (D2L). You do not have to be a computer expert but a basic level of comfort with the computer is necessary. You will need to know how to move around the course web page and type in your comments and questions (instructions will be provided). Instructions on the basic use of D2L will also be provided. The course instructor and online discussion facilitator are also there for support.
What’s involved in participating in this course?
You will be asked to do the readings and reflective exercises, to interact with the other students weekly, to complete the assignments and exams, and to provide feedback on the course content and process. The time commitment for the course is approximately 10 -15 hours per week at your convenience.
The course will run from September 2010 to June 2011. As this course is work-related, you may want to consider negotiating with your employer to devote some work time to this learning process.
What are the tuition fees?
The total tuition is $1600.00 for all 6 modules ($266.66 per module). Tuition is payable at the beginning of each module through post-dated cheques or credit card made payable to CHICA-Canada.
Course textbooks:
Students will require a copy of each of the following textbooks:
- Practical Healthcare Epidemiology. (3rd ed.) (2010) edited by Lautenbach, Woeltje, and Malani. This is available as an e book from the University of Chicago Press and is immediately downloadable for $60.00 Cdn. It is also available as a paper copy for $185.00. Please see this link to order a copy www.press.uchicago.edu/presssite/metadata.epl?isbn=9780226471020
- Mim’s Medical Microbiology. (4th ed.) (2008) edited by Goering, Dockrell, Zuckerman, Wakelin, Roitt, Mims, and Chiodini. This book is available from Elsevier for $85.95 Cdn. Please see this link to order a copy www.elsevier.ca/product.jsp?isbn=9780323044752
Course materials will be available in pdf format for you to download and print for the course and for future use. You will require Adobe Reader 9 to open these documents. This may be downloaded for free on your computer via this link: get.adobe.com/reader/
Who can take this course?
The courses are open to novice ICPs from across Canada who have been practicing in Canada for less than 2 years. The maximum number of participants will be 40—registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
How do you apply to take this course?
Students interested in this course should send a current resume citing work and educational background, 3 current references, and a cover letter indicating applicability of course to work environment. Please
e-mail this information as an attachment or inquiries about the course to CHICA-Canada at chicacanada@mts.net. The deadline for submission of application is August 27, 2010.
Students who meet the criteria for acceptance will be notified of their acceptance by September 3, 2010. A waitlist will be maintained. Spaces are limited and competitive so apply soon!
For more information on the course, contact Karen Dobbin-Williams, CHICA-Canada Distance Education Coordinator/Course Instructor at kdobbinw@mun.ca
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 Endorsed by CHICA-Canada
CHICA-Canada Basic Infection Control for Infection Control Professionals
(Endorsed 2008-2010)
This course is held at the University of Calgary [Medical Sciences 660: On-Line Basic Infection Control]
The purpose of these online courses are to provide novice Infection Control Professionals (ICPs) with the basic
knowledge, tools and strategies needed to do Infection Control in a board range of health care environments from
health care institutions to the community. The purpose of this entry to practice course is (1) to identify and describe
the scope of infection prevention and control problems and issues for novice ICPs and (2) to examine and integrate
their current expertise with the basic knowledge, tools and strategies needed to examine problems and develop
practical solutions in Infection Control.
The course consists of approximately 100 hours offered with an Introduction Module, 4 – 2 part course-based
modules and 1 practicum module. These are:
- Introduction Module - To introduce yourself to the class, to learn how to navigate in Blackboard and to become
familiar with the course expectations.
- Module 1 - What is infection control, how it is done and how to teach infection control to others.
- Module 2 - Common micro-organisms that are a problem in healthcare-acquired infections and relevant
communicable diseases and the type of infections they commonly cause.
- Module 3 - Basic concepts of epidemiology which is relevant to the transmission of infections and describe and to
apply the basic principles of surveillance and outbreak management.
- Module 4 - Basic Occupational Health and environmental problems issues that are relevant to Infection Control
and identify potential solutions.
- Module 5 (Practicum) – To introduce the student to the realities of practicing and applying the principles infection
control in a healthcare environment.
This course is web-based and includes readings, exercises, online tutorials and web-based discussion with
colleagues and facilitators. Online individual and group discussions and the examination after each module focus
on the application of course material in the module.
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Endorsed by CHICA-Canada
Non-Acute Care ICP Training Program, Regional Infection Control Networks (RICN)
(Endorsed 2010-2012)
The Ontario Regional Infection Control Networks (RICN) have developed a web-based course targeted to Infection Control Professionals (ICPs) working in non-acute care settings in Ontario. These settings include long term care, community health and public health. The program is intended for the ICP who is new in their role and\or has no other formal infection prevention and control training.
This course has 12 modules and spans 12 months, with over 80 hours of course work. Students are mentored and supported by their local RICN. The course is housed on a secure site on the RICN web portal.
More information
Endorsed by CHICA-Canada
Centennial College Online Infection Control
(Endorsed 2008-2010)
Information
This three-month online course, which duplicates the on-site course,
is offered twice per year (December - March and May - August) and
is designed for newly-appointed infection control personnel.
You will learn the planning, implementation, management and evaluation
of an infection prevention and control program.
Endorsed by CHICA-Canada
Centennial
College Basic Infection Control
(Endorsed 2008-2010)
This basic 80-hour introductory on-site course at the Centennial
College in Scarborough, Ontario is for professionals who need
to deal with infection control in their work. A certificate of
achievement is awarded on successful completion of the course.
Components include microbiology, principles of infection prevention
and control (applicable to all settings), investigation and control
of infectious diseases, surveillance techniques, waste management,
occupation health, critique of the literature, sterilization and
disinfection, adult education and accreditation.
Post diploma RN and BScN nurses will find this particularly
useful for continuing education as they care for clients in acute
care, long-term care and the community.
For information, check
the college website.
Endorsed by CHICA-Canada
Queen's
University Online Basic Infection Control Course
(Endorsed 2008-2010)
Registration and Website
Anyone interested in taking the next course (tentative starting date is September 2010) should contact Cynthia Mangan at 613-533-6000 (x 77621) or email manganc@queensu.ca.
This online course is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to
the principles and practice of infection prevention and control.
This course is highly interactive and uses multimedia technology
to present the materials. New infection control professionals
in all health care settings, including communicable disease
staff working in public health, would benefit from this course.
Topics that will be covered include medical microbiology; clinical
epidemiology; disinfection, sterilization and environmental management;
surveillance, CQI and outbreak management; infection control program
management; community infections; LTC and home care issues; resistant
and emerging pathogens; antibiotic utilization and control; occupational
infections; adult learning and teaching principles; evidence-based
infection control practice.
The general flow of the course is based upon one-, two- or four-week
modules. There are 10 modules in total: two are four-week modules,
seven are two-week modules, and there is a single one-week module.
In order to complete this course, it is necessary for the participants
to have basic computer skills. The first module (Computer Skills
and Technical Orientation to e-Learning) will address this issue
by assessing the electronic skills of the participants. Participants
who consider themselves electronically adept may opt to not participate
in this part of the first module.
Within each module, there are three broad parts that reflect
the type of learning activity and its objectives: knowledge gathering,
knowledge practice and knowledge sharing. Knowledge gathering
occurs by a wide variety of methods as directed by the instructors
of the module: assigned readings, self-directed work books and
research, online structured presentations, lectures and tutorials.
Knowledge practice involves assigned case studies of infection
control problems, short answer questions and online quizzes. In
this segment of the block you will work collaboratively within
small groups to achieve the learning objectives set out by the
module instructor(s). Just as is the case in actual professional
practice, working in collaborative groups to solve problems is
an important way to achieve goals and resolve problems. Therefore,
this course will rely heavily upon small group collaboration in
knowledge practice. Group collaboration will occur by e-mail,
Internet chat and teleconferences which are all built into the
learning environment of this course. Knowledge sharing
involves the small groups and the larger whole class to present
the results of their assignments, discuss assigned questions and
review quizzes. The knowledge sharing will occur in whole-class
live teleconferences and web chat and e-mail.
The curriculum of this course has been endorsed by the Community
and Hospital Infection Control Association-Canada. Course coordinators
are Dick Zoutman, MD, FRCPC (Professor, Departments of Pathology
& Molecular Medicine, Community Health & Epidemiology, Medicine
and Microbiology & Immunology, Queen's University) and Jim Gauthier,
MLT, CIC (Infection Control Practitioner, Providence Continuing
Care Centre, St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital, Kingston, Ontario).
Endorsed by CHICA-Canada
University of British Columbia Infection
Control Certificate Program Courses
(Endorsed 2010-2013)
The University of British Columbia Distance Education and Technology and the Departments of Pathology and Health Care and Epidemiology, in conjunction with the Vancouver Hospital Division of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control currently are offering three
online infection control courses and a
clerkship in clinical infection control. These three-credit university recognized courses may be taken as stand-alone courses or used towards a four-course University of British Columbia Infection Control Certificate and/or towards a Masters in Science, Nursing or Epidemiology with the permission of the individual's appropriate university departments. The courses are highly popular and early registration is recommended. The course descriptions are as follows:
Basic
Principles of Infection Prevention and Control (Pathology 427)
Introduces students to the principles of infection prevention and control. Basics
of Medical Microbiology for Infection Control (Pathology 467)
Introduces students to pathogenic organisms and the diseases they cause. The identification, clinical significance and transmission of pathogenic organisms are presented.
Basic
Epidemiology for Infection Control (HCEP 401/ Pathology 477)
This introductory course on epidemiology explores fundamental concepts
in epidemiology, study design and analysis and outbreak investigation
as it applies to institutional infection control. Surveillance
techniques, data collection and management and critical review
of the literature will be covered.
Clerkship
in Laboratory Medicine and Infection Control (Pathology 451)
This course is designed to familiarize students with clinical infection control and/or various subspecialties of Laboratory Medicine. This elective may involve attendance at an approved institution and/or a project assigned by the instructor(s); content of the clerkship will be preplanned with the student to meet their interests or requirements. The time commitment will entail approximately 30 - 45 hours of "contact" time and 20 - 30 hours of independent study. The course is open to students with permission from the course instructors.
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Michener Institute Online Infection
Control and Epidemiology (IC800-1, IC800-2)
Information
This online program will benefit infection control practitioners,
nurses, medical laboratory technologists, public health investigators,
and professionals in communicable disease control, including
physicians, and those preparing for the CBIC certification (CIC)
exam.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
Infection Control and Safety (HSC105)
Information
Infection control – it’s a hot topic across the world and demands attention in any health care profession. In this 22 hour online program, learn about the basics, including transmission of microorganisms, immunization practices for healthcare workers, blood-borne pathogens (Hepatitis and HIV), SARS, standard precautions, isolation procedures, sterilization and disinfection, safety and WHMIS.
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
School of Health & Public Safety Infection Prevention and Control (INFC-215)
Information
This interactive online WEB CT course deals with transmission of microorganisms, blood-borne pathogens (Hepatitis and HIV), standard precautions, isolation procedures, immunization for medical workers, sterilization and disinfection, biohazardous waste, safety and WHMIS. The course is designed for students in 9 programs in the School of Health and Public Safety at SAIT (recognized by the Province Of Alberta as a Post Secondary Institution).
The day programs include: Respiratory Therapy, Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Radiation Technology, Dental Assistant, Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant, Paramedic. Most of the programs are accredited by the CMA.
The course can also be taken via distance by others interested in health care.
University of Calgary Online
Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
Download Information and Registration Form
Website Information - look for MdSc 613.01 – Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
The purpose of this online course is to explore the impact of infectious
diseases on populations rather than individuals using the principles
of epidemiology. In this course, we will examine the basic concepts
of infectious diseases epidemiology and explore the determinants
and distribution of infection and disease in populations and the
factors that influence the frequency, spread and distribution of
infectious diseases.
This graduate level course is being offered for credit to any individuals
who wish to expand their knowledge in the Epidemiology of Infectious
Diseases. An undergraduate degree is not required to take the
course; however, permission from the instructor is required.
This course runs from September to December. For more
information contact Dr.
Betty Ann Henderson.
University of Calgary Online
Course: Research in Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control
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The focus of this online course will be on healthcare epidemiology with particular emphasis on infection control. The underlying theme for this course will emphasize the research aspects of healthcare epidemiology and how the basic research techniques are applied in the healthcare environment. Topics will include surveillance, quantitative and qualitative methods, sampling, survey research methods, behaviour change, developing and assessing education programs and ethical practice.
This course runs from January to April 2008. For more information
contact Dr.
Betty Ann Henderson.
University of Calgary MSc Program in Hospital Epidemiology
Hospital Epidemiology/Infection Control is an area of applied
research that is relatively new. The mandate is translating research
into practice through education and consultation with staff, through
policy and procedure development. Three inter-related activities
are used to improve patient outcomes related to hospital-acquired
infections: 1) service (ie. surveillance, outbreak investigation,
planning, and consultation), 2) education and 3) research.
This program was developed to draw individuals from 2 content
areas (Patient-care practices and health care systems; and 2)
Microbiology and infectious diseases) and to provide training
in epidemiology, biostatistics and applications of research for
these individuals. This will provide common ground on which the
knowledge and skills needed by Infection Control Professionals
can be further developed and enhanced.
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