Hand hygiene auditor training

Hand Hygiene Auditors (previously called General Auditors) conduct direct observational audits of healthcare worker hand hygiene compliance.

Overview

Hand Hygiene Auditors (previously called general auditors) conduct direct observational audits of healthcare worker hand hygiene practices. They provide feedback to healthcare workers as part of a quality improvement approach to hand hygiene education.

Health service organisations rely on trained auditors to collect valid and reliable hand hygiene data. Auditor training ensures that auditors have consistent and current knowledge of hand hygiene audit practices.

Hand Hygiene Auditor Training Pathway

This pathway is for healthcare workers who wish to become a Hand Hygiene Auditor (HA). Existing auditors do not need to complete this training pathway. This pathway provides learners with the knowledge and skills to audit hand hygiene practice accurately and consistently.

The HA training pathway includes: 

Prerequisite eLearning modules

A learner must complete two prerequisite eLearning modules in the NHHI Learning Management System (LMS):

• Basics of infection prevention and control
• Hand hygiene for clinical healthcare workers 

                            OR

• Hand hygiene for non-clinical healthcare workers, depending on staff category

These two modules provide an overview of the key areas of infection prevention and control, including standard precautions and transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, invasive device use and management, antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, and work health and safety.

The prerequisite training modules are valid for 12 months prior to undertaking HA training.

For more information, refer to: Hand hygiene auditor pathway training user guide

Hand Hygiene Auditor (HA) Training Pathway 

After completing the two prerequisite modules, the learner must enrol in the Hand Hygiene Auditor (HA) Training Pathway in the NHHI LMS. The HA Training Pathway includes:

• Hand Hygiene Auditor eLearning module
• Hand Hygiene Auditor Practical Skills Training Session (face-to-face or online)
• Hand Hygiene Auditor Assessment

Hand Hygiene Auditor eLearning module

The learner must complete the Hand Hygiene Auditor eLearning module in the NHHI LMS within 12 months of completing the two prerequisite eLearning modules. The content of the Hand Hygiene Auditor eLearning module includes:

• The importance of hand hygiene auditing in improving the safety and quality of health care and reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections
• The 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene and how to use this framework for auditing hand hygiene compliance
• How to use the Hand Hygiene Compliance Application (HHCApp) to record audit data
• The importance of providing effective feedback to improve hand hygiene compliance
• How to provide feedback as part of auditing hand hygiene.

This module prepares the learner for the Hand Hygiene Auditor Practical Skills Training Session.

Hand Hygiene Auditor Practical Skills Training Session

Completing the Hand Hygiene Auditor eLearning Module entitles the learner to undertake an online or face-to-face Hand Hygiene Auditor Practical Skills Training Session with a valid Hand Hygiene Auditor Educator. Learners can enrol themselves in the training session in the NHHI LMS or they can be enrolled by a Hand Hygiene Auditor Educator.

This training session reinforces the:

• Concept of the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene.
• Audit process using the HHCApp.
• Rules when auditing in a clinical area.

This training session also provides learners with the opportunity to:

• Practise applying the audit rules and recording audit data
• Discuss the application of the audit rules in a practical setting.

Hand Hygiene Auditor Assessment

The learner must complete the Hand Hygiene Auditor Assessment in the NHHI LMS within four weeks of the practical skills training session. The assessment includes five video scenarios of clinical encounters. Learners are required to audit these scenarios and record audit results on the HHCApp emulator in the NHHI LMS. A pass mark of 90% is required to complete this assessment.

The learner needs to complete this assessment within four weeks of completing the practical skills training session. Otherwise, they will not be able to complete the Hand Hygiene Auditor training pathway and will need to re-do the Hand Hygiene Auditor eLearning module and the practical skills training session before they can attempt the assessment.

Once the learner completes the Hand Hygiene Auditor training pathway in the NHHI LMS, an auditor profile will be automatically generated in the HHCApp and assigned to their nominated organisation for auditing.

For more information on how to complete the Hand Hygiene Auditor training, please see the Hand Hygiene Auditor Training User Guide below: