Nursing Infection Control Education Network
AACN is one of 20 nursing specialty organizations partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Nurses Association to develop the Nursing Infection Control Education Network (NICE Network). The NICE network seeks to empower nurses to protect themselves and their patients by providing real time infection prevention and control training to U.S. nurses. The goal of the training programs developed through the NICE Network is to improve adherence to infection prevention and control practices and enhance the confidence of nurses to care for patients with Ebola and other highly contagious diseases.
Why is this Significant?
Nurses are the front-line of defense against infections spreading in U.S. healthcare facilities. Moreover, the increasing number of emerging diseases often forces nurses to take on roles outside of their normal duties. This includes but is not limited to roles in environmental cleaning and waste management. With the evolution of emerging threats and ongoing issues such as healthcare-associated infections, nurses need to be equipped to understand and follow infection control procedures to not only protect themselves, but also to protect their patients.
Project Description
The purpose of the NICE project is to:
- Provide real-time, tailored infection control training to nurses,
- Improve adherence to infection prevention and control practices known to be effective in preventing exposure to Ebola virus disease and other emerging infectious diseases; and
- Enhance the confidence of nurses to care for patients with Ebola virus disease or other highly contagious diseases through effective education and training.
