Antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem worldwide. National and international organizations have recognized this growing problem and have published guidelines and recommendations to combat it. Despite the recognition of the merits and benefits of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs), only 48% of all US hospitals currently have an ASP in place. Although antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide concern, it is first and foremost a local problem. Health care facilities, such as skilled-nursing and long-term acute care facilities are the sites that see multi-, extremely-, and sometimes pan-resistant bacteria and therefore carry a high responsibility for proper stewardship of our antimicrobial resources. This educational initiative is designed to overcome and address the barriers to facilitate practical implementation of ASPs in the health care setting.

Continuing Education Information: none available

Learning Objectives:

Learners will develop an understanding of antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial stewardship at a local and national level. Learners will also understand the CDC Core Elements of Antimicrobial Stewardship and how to implement it within Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). Learners will be able to: 

Module 1:

Understand what antibiotic resistance is, and how it has come about.

Understand numbers and figures from various literature sources regarding antibiotic resistance.

Become aware of antibiotic-resistant threats.

Observe what issues have arisen in both Nevada and on the global level due to antibiotic resistance.

Module 2:

Understand antibiotic use in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), and the facts, pros, and cons about antibiotic use in the SNF environment. 

Understand the impact of C. difficile infection within the SNFs.

Understand the CDC Core Elements of Antimicrobial Stewardship and how to implement them within the SNF environment. 

Target Audience: Health Systems, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Physicians, Pharmacists, Infectious Disease Health Professionals, Health Educators

Tier(s) and Competency Domain(s): Tier 1 – Analytical/Assessment Skills, Communication Skills, Community Dimensions of Practice Skills; Tier 2 – Analytical/Assessment Skills, Communication Skills, Policy Development/Program Planning Skills, Public Health Sciences Skills and Community Dimensions of Practice Skills. Tier 3 - Analytical/Assessment Skills, Communication Skills, Policy Development/Program Planning Skills, Public Health Sciences Skills, Community Dimensions of Practice Skills, and Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills. 

Course Duration: 88 minutes (44-minutes per module series)

Disclosures:  James Wilson, MD has declared a financial relationship with M2 Medical Intelligence. Funding for this project was provided by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health.