This week’s Ftag of the Week on the CMSCG Blog, F882 Infection Preventionist Qualifications/Role, rounds out our look at the Infection Control regulatory group of the Requirements of Participation (RoPs). This regulation becomes effective in Phase 3, which is November 28, 2019, and includes the following requirements for this role.
Nursing facilities will be required to have one or more staff members who have been designated as the Infection Preventionist (IP) and who is/are responsible for the facility’s Infection Prevention and Control Plan. The regulatory requirement generally focuses on the qualifications of someone who will be designated as the IP and provides you with a minimum set of requirements for that role, including:
- The Infection Preventionist must have primary professional training in one of the following: nursing, epidemiology, microbiology, medical technology or a related field
- The IP must be qualified for this role through education, training, certification or experience
- The IP must have completed specialized training in Infection Prevention and Control
- The IP needs to work at least part-time at the facility.
The designated Infection Preventionist must be a member of the facility’s QAA Committee. The IP must routinely report to the QAA Committee on the facility’s IPCP.
Organizations such as the American Healthcare Association (AHCA) and (APIC) are offering training courses to get your staff trained in this area.
With that said, November 28, 2019 is approaching faster than some of us would like! If you have not implemented a plan to meet regulatory compliance with F882, now is the time to identify or hire someone to assume responsibilities for this vital position. We all know that F880 Infection Prevention & Control has been in the top 3 (mostly at #1) of the most frequently cited deficiencies for quite some time. You need a knowledgeable and qualified staff member at the helm of this program. Remember, the moratorium on F881 Antibiotic Stewardship Program is also disappearing. This is just another reason to fill the Infection Preventionist with a qualified person who can work closely with the Medical Director and Medical Staff on adherence to the facility’s Antibiotic Stewardship Program.