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Infection Prevention & Control Online Professional Development Course

Queen's Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC) Online Professional Development Course is a fully online program with interactive content for health professionals who are new to or are about to enter into the practice of IPAC. The purpose of the course is to introduce learners to the practice of IPAC and to increase participants’ knowledge and skills for managing the prevention and control of infections and disease. Registration is now open!

Online Learning

90 hours of interactive asynchronous online learning over 18 weeks + Ask-Me-Anything webinars

IPAC Canada endorsed

The course is endorsed by IPAC Canada and will cover all  IPAC/APIC professional practice standards

Reviewed & Updated Annually

Annually reviewed to update IPAC content and to reflect current pedagogical strategies.

Register Now for Fall 2023!

The Fall 2023 cohort will run from Sept 11, 2023 – Feb 4, 2024.
Fee is $1599 CAD.

Register before July 10th for the early bird price of $1500!

 

Need help registering, or looking for group rates? email queensic@queensu.ca

Discounted Group Rates

Save 10% by registering 5 or more learners on a single invoice. Please contact queensic@queensu.ca for details.

Samantha Di Piero, RN, BScN, PMP

As a full time working healthcare professional and parent to two small children I enjoyed the flexibility of the course structure and the generous reference materials provided. I was able to work at my own pace and felt very supported by the course instructors and staff when I had questions about the course material. The course itself was very well organized and used relevant examples that were directly aligned with my field of practice and provided me with actionable solutions that I implemented in my place of work. In addition to this, the foundations provided in this course both prepared and qualified me for the CBIC LTC-CIP certification exam which is a legally mandated requirement of my profession. 

I strongly recommend this course to any health professional who wants to strengthen or grow their understanding of infection prevention and control principles and public health as a whole. 

 

Samantha Di Piero, RN, BScN, PMP, IPAC & Compliance Manager, Halton Region Services for Seniors

Course Information

New infection control practitioners in all Canadian health care settings, including communicable disease staff working in health units. We ask that you have obtained one of the following: RN, RPN, BSc, CRT/RRT, MD, or MLT or equivalent. If you have not obtained one of these credentials we recommend having experience in the IPAC field. We will consider a combination of educational background and work experience.

Register now for Fall 2023!

Course Layout

Course instruction will occur through online, interactive modules. There are 12 modules spread across 18 weeks with accompanying assessments due each week. One module topic is released per week. Learners are expected to review the module and any other online materials throughout the week while following the weekly due dates for the quizzes and assignments. A designated Question and Answer (Q&A) board will also be available for each module topic.

The course will explore the following module topics:

  • Lifelong Learning: Principles of Adult Learning and Evidence-based Medicine and Literature Searching (1 week)
  • Infectious Disease Processes: Clinical Microbiology (2 weeks)
  • Routine Practices and Additional Precautions (2 weeks)
  • Disinfection, Sterilization and Construction (2 weeks)
  • Employee and Occupational Health (2 weeks)
  • Surveillance and Epidemiologic Investigation (5 weeks)
  • Epidemiology of Health Care Acquired Infections (2 weeks)
  • Public Health and Education (1 week)
  • Management and Communication in Infection Prevention and Control (1 week)

Learners should expect to spend an average of 7-12 hours per week on coursework. This includes working through the online modules, discussions, quizzes, and assignments each week. This may vary depending on your comfort level with the module topic and prior experience in the IPAC field.

Assessments

The course assessments will be weighed anywhere from 2-10% and will consist of online quizzes, assignments, and interactive scenarios. Assessments will be released with the modules and will be due weekly on Sundays at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

If you have any concerns regarding accessibility, please reach out to the coordinator at queensic@queensu.ca to discuss options prior to processing payment.

Live Sessions

Learners are expected to attend a minimum of three live sessions throughout the course. Zoom will be used to host these pre-scheduled live sessions: webinars and interactive question and answer sessions with instructors (Ask Me Anything!). All sessions will be held in Eastern Time Zone and will be recorded.

An Ask Me Anything (AMA) is a chance for learners to virtually connect with the instructors/subject matter experts in real time. These will be one to two hour Zoom sessions that will occur throughout the course at different times and dates. The instructor may present on a specific topic or keep the conversation open for questions. This will be the learner’s chance to ask about a specific module, question, answer, topic, pick their brain etc.

Course Certificate Requirements

To successfully complete the course and receive your certificate of completion you must achieve an overall final grade of 70% or higher and complete all quizzes and assignments.

Please note that completion of this course does not certify the learner as an infection control practitioner. For more information on Certification in Infection Control (CIC), please refer to the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology’s website.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

  1. Identify fundamental concepts of epidemiology and microbiology as they relate to IP&C
  2. Examine and investigate scenarios to practice problem-solving for IP&C
  3. Practice critical thinking and management skills for engaging in:
    • routine practices and additional precautions,
    • surveillance,
    • outbreak control of infections and disease within clinical and public health settings
  4. Apply research, teaching, and life-long learning skills through engagement within a case-based, online learning community

IPAC Canada has endorsed this course which has recently been redesigned to update the Infection Prevention and Control content and to reflect current pedagogical strategies. The course will cover all the IPAC Canada (Infection Prevention and Control Canada--formerly Community and Hospital Infection Control Association)/ APIC (Association for Practitioners in Infection Control and Epidemiology) professional practice standards. The curriculum is also based on the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology's (CBIC) Examination Content Outline, available on the CBIC website.

Program Structure  

There are three broad parts that reflect the type of learning activity and its objectives: knowledge gathering, knowledge practice and knowledge sharing.

  1. Knowledge gathering occurs by a wide variety of methods: assigned readings, self-directed research, etc.
  2. Knowledge practice involves assigned case studies of infection control problems, short answer questions and online quizzes. There will be individual assignments as well.
  3. Knowledge sharing is a huge part of this course. Students' progress through the phases of knowledge gathering, practice and sharing will be continuously monitored. Your assignments will be graded and you will receive feedback on your performance throughout the course.

Language Requirements

English is the language of instruction for the Online Infection Prevention and Control Professional Development Course and will be the language used by the participants and by the instructors of this course to communicate orally as well as electronically. 

All applicants accepted into this course must have a level of comprehension in the English language that will enable them to communicate effectively with their instructors and fellow classmates.

Course Dates

Fall 2023:  September 11, 2023 to February 4, 2024 - Register now

Please sign up for the Queen's Infection Prevention & Control Online Professional Development Course Mailing list to receive information on upcoming course dates and registration details.

Course Fee: $1599.00 CAD

In order to confirm a place in this course, you must pay the full fee at the time of registration. Only online credit card payments will be accepted. Payments will be taken through our online registration system.

Our office is exploring funding support opportunities to increase access to this course. If you are interested in this professional development program, but unable to register due to financial limitations, please complete this form.

If funding becomes available, we will assess requests and will be in contact if support is available. Please note that funding support is not guaranteed.

Discounted Group Rates

Save 10% by registering 5 or more learners on a single invoice. Please contact queensic@queensu.ca for details.

Refund Policies are firm and strictly enforced. 

Refund requests are to be sent to queensic@queensu.ca by September 10, 2023. Please be aware that a $240 admin fee will be charged per person for any refund. Unawareness of the deadline or its consequences will not be accepted. Refunds are not available for promotional codes that were not applied at the time of registration. Registrations are non-transferable and deferrals are not offered.

  • If a learner withdraws prior to September 10, 2023, the course fee will be refunded less the admin fee of $240.
  • If a learner withdraws after the refund deadline, the course fee is not refundable.

Only those who are intending to and can complete the course in its entirety should proceed with registration. If you cannot fully commit to all course components, please do not proceed with payment.

Weekly Dedicated Time is Necessary

The IPAC program will require 7-12 hours per week on average doing coursework. This is the combination of modules, discussions, assignments and quizzes each week. Please confirm that you are committing to these hours. No special financial consideration is given to learners who were unaware of the hours this course entails. One module opens per week and everyone goes through each week together as a cohort. There is no opportunity to work ahead.

Review of all IPC Course Information

Prior to registering for the course, please ensure that you have read and understand all course details. Failure to clarify any questions about the course layout before registration will not be considered for refund after the refund deadline.

Any questions surrounding the program can be sent to queensic@queensu.ca.

Master of Public Health IPAC Track

Queen's Health Sciences is pleased to offer two, unique programs in Infection Prevention and Control to meet your educational and professional needs.  

Is this IPAC Online Professional Development Course or the longer, degree-granting Master of Public Health IPAC Track program right for you? View our course comparison module to learn more.

 

Online Professional Development

Browse our full menu of online professional development opportunities on our Get Your CPD webpage.

Kathir Puveendran

Since I work full time, I liked how I was able to follow the course material at my own time. This allowed me the ability to do some work in the early mornings which for me was a lot better for my schedule. I found the modules great since it provided a lot of examples that I have been exposed to working in the health field. The discussion boards were also very helpful and responsive which made the class a lot less stressful.

 

Kathir Puveendran, Program Coordinator, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Course Leadership

Dick Zoutman, MD, FRCPC, CCPE, C. Dir,  Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology. Emeritus Professor, Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Medicine, Public Health Sciences, Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, and of Nursing, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. Past Co-Chair Ontario Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC), Past Physician Director Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC Canada). 

More information

Jim Gauthier, MLT, CIC, Instructor of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Infection Control Practitioner, Queen's University

Sandra Callery, BScN, MHSc, CIC, Director of Infection Control, Public Health Ontario Toronto, ON

Sandra Halliday, MSL, Public Services Librarian, Bracken Health Sciences Library, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University

Kathleen Poole, RegN, MScN, CIC, COHN(c), Occupational Health, Providence Care, Kingston, ON

David Ryding, BHSc, BASc, CPHI(C), CIC, MPH, Infection Control Consultant, Public Health Ontario, Regional Infection Control Network – South Eastern Ontario

Prameet Sheth, MSc, PhD, D(ABMM) Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences and Pathology; Clinical Microbiologist, Division of Microbiology, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Kingston, Ontario

Stephanie W. Smith, MD, MSc (Epi), FRCPC, Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Director, Infection Prevention and Control, University of Alberta

Denise Stockley, PhD, Professor, Teaching & Learning Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

Dick Zoutman, MD, FRCPC, CCPE, C. Dir,  Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology. Emeritus Professor, Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Medicine, Public Health Sciences, Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, and of Nursing, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. Past C0-Chair Ontario Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC), Past Physician Director Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC Canada). 

Mailing List

To receive updates, including announcements for upcoming intakes please click the envelope icon above. Please note that we only mail out information on upcoming events, course dates, and registration.

Questions?

Please contact Julia  queensic@queensu.ca

Leslie

I have worked for over 2 years as an IPAC lead in LTC. My position was focused almost solely on management of COVID-19 for the first year or so. Once I started having more time to branch into other IPAC issues/topics, I found myself craving more IPAC education. The Queen's IPAC course was perfect for my lifestyle due to its flexibility. . .The content included a wide variety of IPAC topics that I have been able to directly apply to what I do as an IPAC lead. The knowledge that I gained from the course will also help me as I strive to obtain my CIC certification in the next year. It is a great course that I highly recommend!

 

Leslie, Queen's Infection Prevention & Control Online Professional Development Course Learner