Viruses & Bacteria

This course is part of our Foundational Course in Infection Prevention and Control. See below for links to other modules!

Course Overview 

The Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center’s foundational module on Viruses and Bacteria explains why it is critical to understand viruses and bacteria in order to properly treat patients. We will compare and contrast viruses and bacteria, how they replicate and spread, the role of antibiotics, and how antimicrobial resistance occurs. 

 

Target Audience

Target audience for this course are healthcare professionals beginning their experience in infection prevention and control training and who have little to no practice in infection prevention and control concepts. 

Audience examples include novice infection preventionists, clinical healthcare professionals, and nonclinical healthcare leaders, such as environmental services managers, who are seeking foundational infection prevention and control knowledge.

Overall Learning Objectives

• Identify key characteristics of viruses in comparison to bacteria
• Elaborate on viral replication and viral transmission
• Describe the role of bacteria in commensal flora versus disease states
• Discuss why antibiotics work for bacterial infections, but not for viral infections
• Define antimicrobial resistance and summarize how this occurs

 

Continuing Education Credit

Continuing education (CE) credit is available for this course from 2/20/24 to 2/20/27. To claim credit, please watch this video in its entirety, then visit the VCU Continuing Medical Education activity page to obtain your credit.

How Did We Do?

We appreciate your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve this course for future participants. Please complete this anonymous evaluation for Viruses & Bacteria.

Resources

• CDC Infection Control Basics including Standard Precautions for All Patient Care and Transmission-based Precautions
• CDC Guidelines for Isolation Precautions: Appendix A which includes type and duration of precautions recommended for selected infections and conditions
• CDC Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs

VIPTC’s Foundational Course in Infection Prevention and Control

The Foundational Course in Infection Prevention & Control is designed for healthcare professionals who require focused education on beginner-level infection prevention and control (IPC) concepts. The goal of the course is to provide specialized training on fundamental infection prevention subjects including vaccines, hand hygiene, microbes, personal protective equipment, waste management, and cleaning/disinfection.

Modules:

• Introduction to Infection Prevention and Control
• Viruses and Bacteria
• Vaccines
• Hand Hygiene
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Microbes and Isolation
• Cleaning and Disinfection 
• Waste Management

Visit viptc.vcu.edu to access our full library of on-demand courses, training videos, and infection prevention resources.