Islands Hospice’s Ongoing Commitment to Infection Prevention

On February 13^th and 14^th, team members on O‘ahu and Maui participated in Islands Hospice’s annual Infection Control skills lab. These sessions are important for maintaining our up to date knowledge of standards of infection prevention and control, ensuring the safety of our staff, patients, and community.

Our direct patient care clinicians, including nurses, CNA’s, chaplains, and social workers, actively participated in this essential training, practicing activities such as handwashing, proper donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE), and implementing the bag and trunk technique to maintain infection prevention and control.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), proper handwashing can reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses, such as colds, by up to 21% and reduce deaths from diarrheal disease by up to 50%.

"Our top priority is keeping everyone safe. This means we must continue to be diligent about our safety practices to protect our staff, patients, and the community we serve,” said Jen E., CEO of Islands Hospice. “We are all in this together, protecting everyone’s well-being every step of the way."

Prior to the skills labs, staff completed additional clinical and organizational training with Clinical Director Nyra H. and other clinical leaders, ensuring that they were fully prepared for the tasks at hand. This year, Islands Hospice chose to hold these sessions in person as it provided an opportunity for our team to reconnect, bond, and take part in hands-on learning while receiving immediate feedback.

Infection Control skills labs are an opportunity for Islands Hospice to refresh our skills, reinforce our commitment to safety, and strengthen our team. As we move forward, our team will put these lessons to practice so that we can continue to provide the best care possible.