“Bug Bites”: A facility-wide educational tool

ISSUE: Education of healthcare workers is the cornerstone of all infection control programs. In a busy healthcare environment, providing timely and consistent educational updates to 4200+ employees in a 642-bed suburban hospital was a challenge. To meet this need, we set out to develop a vehicle of communication that is accessible, creative, informative, and concise enough for even the busiest of healthcare workers to utilize. PROJECT: Our primary focus was to determine the type of communication to develop. We looked at various ways to provide education. Each option was reviewed for positive and negative factors. Options included classroom lectures, 1-day poster displays, e-mail blasts, Internet updates, fairs, and written modules. Once type of presentation was determined, we searched for a catchy title and consistent logo that would earmark the product as an infection control communication. Our next decision was the method of dissemination and the frequency. Content was our final hurdle to overcome. RESULTS: Our final product was called “Bug Bites.” The title derived from the fact that infection control professionals are always seeking out the bugs in a facility, and “bites” implying a small amount of concise information. We felt that this was creative enough to entice healthcare workers to want to read the document. Our logo was derived from an infection control week theme of “Itʹs in your hands.” It is a one-page, monthly document that is distributed to each hospital department in written and electronic form. Once initially distributed, it is then archived onto our hospital intranet site as a reference document for staff access. Topics since the inception in 2003 have included hand hygiene, isolation practices, personal protective equipment, sharps safety, communicable diseases (Avian flu, influenza), Clostridium difficile, construction, healthcare-associated infections, sterilization and disinfection, respiratory etiquette, and winter illness prevention. LESSONS LEARNED: Supplying educational information to healthcare workers can be a challenge, but if you find the appropriate vehicle of communication for your facility, it becomes a fun and reliable way to keep staff updated on issues of importance within your facility.