Implementing an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (AMS) Nurse Education Program for Rural and Remote Nurses

To increase the awareness, knowledge and skills of nurses working in rural and remote Queensland in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), weekly AMS sessions were introduced, structured around case presentation of patients admitted to the facility and prescribed antimicrobials.

A Teams platform was adopted for further roll out of the program that allowed for recording of sessions for nurses that couldn't attend. What seems like a simple solution has led to increased engagement of facilities particularly across the Southwestern parts of Queensland, quantified by increased calls to the Queensland Statewide Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (QSAMSP) Infectious Disease Hotline and attendance at weekly clinical rounds.

To find out more about the Infectious Disease Hotline, check out this session from Bonnie Smith.