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Micro-Credential Training in Infection Control and Emergency Preparedness for Long-Term Care Facility Staff in Pennsylvania

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November 5, 2024

By Emily Gallagher

The Center for Public Health Readiness and Communication (CPHRC) and Office of Education, both within the Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH), have collaborated to develop and launch training programs in infection control and emergency preparedness for staff in nursing homes and long-term care facilities throughout Pennsylvania.

The development of this programming, which began in June 2023, was made possible with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DoH). It was part of a pilot project targeted to 125 facilities selected by PA DoH that participate in the state’s Long-term Care Resiliency Infrastructure Supports and Empowerment (LTC-RISE) initiative. The goal was to implement workforce and infrastructure improvements to transform culture and improve the resiliency of long-term care facilities across the Commonwealth.

"I think my workplace will benefit from what we learned in the course to have staff members more prepared for emergencies and more knowledgeable on how to handle them." - an Emergency Management Basics Micro-Credential student

Esther Chernak, MD, MPH, FACP, director of CPHRC and clinical professor in the department of Environmental and Occupational Health at DSPH as well as in the Drexel University College of Medicine, and Melissa Kaufman, EdD, associate dean for education at DSPH, lead this project.

The team also includes Ngozi Fadulu, MPH, program manager, Michael Edwards, PhD, instructional designer, and Nai Patrick-Davis, BS, a Dornsife Public Health Research Fellow. Additionally, faculty from Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions, DSPH, and external subject matter experts helped develop and teach the courses.

“These are short-focus credentials offered completely online to provide in demand skills and tailor training that improve skills and competency,” said Chernak, who also co-leads Drexel's online MS in Infection Prevention and Control degree program. “We focused on infection prevention and emergency readiness to provide education in the areas that were important during COVID and will be critical in the future.”

This multidisciplinary team of Drexel personnel developed a total of six courses, also commonly referred to as “micro-credentials,” which began being delivered virtually via Blackboard Learn in September 2023. Courses vary in length and include both asynchronous and live components where students connect with one another and explore real-life case studies.

The six micro-credentials are titled:

These courses are available for all long-term care staff, including front-line staff with patient-care responsibilities, administrators, and facility leadership. A student who completes a course successfully earns a digital badge. They can also gain continuing education credits provided through the Drexel College of Medicine’s Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education and through the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards.

In the first year of this program, 122 students enrolled in one or more of these courses from 39 different long-term care facilities across Pennsylvania. A total of 119 badges were awarded.

The development of this innovative programming is impactful for long-term care facility workers and the residents they serve. Course participants shared positive feedback including:

“The most helpful part of this course was learning how to properly conduct an after-action report and the process of changing procedures that no longer serve the facility or residents.”

“This will allow me to be better at my job as the infection control preventionist by developing infection control risk assessment and developing goals for the facility that are appropriate. We are implementing evidence-based practice, and new policy developed. This allowed me to be more confident in educating the staff at the facility.”

“I think my workplace will benefit from what we learned in the course to have staff members more prepared for emergencies and more knowledgeable on how to handle them.”

“I work in Staff Development, so we are always providing education in the facility. This material that was covered on vaccines gave me a better understanding of how important vaccines are and the process it takes for vaccine approval.”

“I will be applying the knowledge of this course every day. It will be a great reference for all kinds of situations with infection control in our long-term care facility.”

This effort to offer public health micro-credentials aligns with DSPH’s commitment to partnering with communities to have real-world impact and the university’s dynamic learning model that combines cutting-edge, adaptive curricula with engaging learning experiences.

“Micro-credentials allow busy professionals to attain critical skills needed for their jobs while still maintaining their employment. The digital badge allows them to proudly share these skills with their networks,” said Kaufman.

Enrollment is now open for courses that begin in January and April 2025, which will complete year two of the program.

Learn more and enroll