BACK TO BASICS: Why It’s the Smartest Move in IPC Right Now

Infection preventionists (IPs) are living through peak complexity: new guidance, staffing churn, device alerts, and dashboards that multiply overnight. When everything feels urgent, it’s tempting to reach for the latest tool or the flashiest initiative. However, the fastest way to protect patients and your team right now is to recenter the basics in infection prevention and control (IPC)—not because they’re easy, but because they’re the only things delivered thousands of times a day, in every unit, and by everyone.

“It would be beneficial for IPs to concentrate on the areas within their control: practicing proper hand hygiene, wearing [personal protective equipment] correctly, maintaining cleaning and disinfection routines, and environmental hygiene. These 3 areas work together,” said Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC, an independent IP consultant from North Carolina. “If we can ensure that all these practices are carried out properly, it would be a win for everyone. Therefore, I’d like IPs to spend some time on the unit. Observe, observe, observe.”

Small Gains on a Massive Scale Beat Rare Heroics

A 5% improvement in a basic behavior performed 1000 times a day prevents more harm than a 100% improvement in something done twice a month. When you shave misses from those moments, the math favors you—quietly and relentlessly.

Fundamentals Are Pathogen-Agnostic

Variants come and go, supply chains wobble, and new bugs surprise us. Core practices are our all-hazards tool kit. They don’t require us to know the name of the organism on day 1. When you make fundamentals reliable, you’re buying resilience for the subsequent unknown.

Reliability Builds Trust—Inside and Outside the Room

Staff, patients, and families don’t judge us by policies; they judge us by what they see. Consistent basics are visible signals of safety. They calm anxious families, reduce staff conflict (“We all do it this way”), and give leaders credible ground to stand on when the rumor mill spins.

The Basics Expose System Problems You Can Fix

When something simple isn’t happening, it’s rarely because people don’t care. It may be because the dispenser is empty, the product conflicts with the device’s instructions for use, or the workflow conflicts with the device's behavior. Focusing on fundamentals pushes you to remove friction. Every barrier you eliminate pays dividends all year.

Going Back To Basics Is the Shortest Path to Measurable Wins

Executives fund what moves metrics. Fundamentals change denominators fast. Quick wins buy runway for bigger projects and restore team morale.

Habits Reduce Cognitive Load

Checklists and microdrills aren’t busywork; they are kindness to the brain. When the core moves are automatic, people have bandwidth for the exceptions that truly need judgment. Basics create space for critical thinking where it matters.

Culture Shifts From Adherence to Pride

Basics are a shared craft. When we celebrate catches, remove barriers, and show peers the difference they make, fundamentals become identity. Culture outlasts campaigns.

A Gentle Challenge for the Next 30 Days

Pick 1 fundamental that touches every patient on your busiest unit. Make the right way the easy way—physically, visually, and socially. Measure a simple leading indicator, share it weekly, and thank the people who move it. Tell 1 story about harm prevented because someone did the basic thing reliably.

Back to basics isn’t nostalgia; it’s a strategy. It’s how we convert ordinary moments into extraordinary safety— shift after shift, season after season. We all, including IPs, don’t need louder programs; we need quieter reliability. Recommit to the moves you can deliver everywhere, by everyone, every time, and let the results speak for themselves.