Microbiology education for rural nurses: continuing professional development strategies

Nurses play an important role as frontline staff in infection control. Continuing professional development (CPD) in microbiology is key to helping nurses stay up to date with the latest developments in this area. A pilot study was conducted to determine the value of a microbiology laboratory-based workshop to support regional nurses. A team of microbiology academics and clinical microbiologists presented the laboratory-based workshop at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga campus in New South Wales. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted. After the workshop, learners were significantly more confident explaining the process of culturing and identifying organisms from clinical samples (z = 2.84, P = 0.005), the importance of antimicrobial resistance in relation to common healthcare-associated infections (HAI) (z = 2.56, P = 0.011), cutting edge technology used in the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases (z = 2.69, P = 0.007), and which antibiotics are appropriate for different bacterial infections (z = 2.72, P = 0.007). CPD opportunities such as workshops are vital for nurses in rural locations, particularly as health professional shortages in rural locations mean that nurses at all levels are required to take a lead role in infection control practices.