3 ways nurses can get involved with International Infection Prevention Week

As we continue to monitor the spread of Ebola, it’s perhaps appropriate that this week, October 19-25, 2014, marks the annual International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW). Every third week in October, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) presents the IIPW to highlight the importance of infection control among healthcare professionals.

The theme for the 2014 IIPW is antibiotic resistance, and the APIC marks it by providing a number of resources and materials that can be incorporated into your recognition of the week.

One new article the APIC highlights is “The ABC’s of Antibiotics,” which details when antibiotics should be taken and, importantly, when and how they shouldn’t. The accompanying graphic can be used to share this information with patients. You can find a host of other resources on the APIC site.

The APIC also has a page with numerous resources on Ebola, including prevention, symptoms, treatment and up-to-date information on the current state of the outbreak.

Want to get involved with IIPW and spread the word? Here are a few different ways you can:

1. Send an eCard. These are thank you notes for your fellow healthcare workers who practice good infection control measures.
2. Find out which germ you are. This whimsical “What Germ Are You?” quiz was put together as a fun way to share the IIPW message with others.
3. Take the video challenge. Do you have a creative (and hygienic) way of greeting others? Video it and send it to the APIC for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card and more. (We hear fist bumping is a good greeting, but it may take a bit more creativity to win the contest!)

Let us know in the comments how you plan to celebrate IIPW!