You Want to be Certified? Be Prepared!

1. You Want to be Certified?Be Prepared! Beverly Gray, MS, RN, CIC VANTHCS Dallas, TX

2. It is nothing for one to know something unless another knows you know it. Persian Proverb

3. Certification Process • Educational and practice requirements • Exam based on Job Analysis survey • Designed to demonstrate the basic knowledge needed and expected for an Infection Control Professional • Formally recognizes ICP qualifications

4. Certification Exam • 150 multiple choice questions • Only one correct choice • No penalty for wrong answers

5. Certification Exam • Recall (25%) • Recognition of facts, concepts, principles, or procedures • Application (57%) • Utilization of key elements and relationships among data to classify, explain, or differentiate • Analysis/evaluation (16%) • Integration of various elements to solve specific problem situations

6. Are You Ready? • Motivation • Tools • Plan

7. Motivation When you know what you want, and you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get it . Jim Rohn Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot. Jim Rohn

8. Tools • APIC Text of Infection Control and Epidemiology $475 ($375 APIC member price) $63 ($49 APIC member price) • Certification Study Guide (2003) • Other Recommended References (CBIC)

10. Plan • Target a date you plan to take the exam • Give yourself at least 3-6 months of study, especially for your first certification exam • Make a contract with yourself to reach your goal • Be realistic and fair to yourself

11. Plan • Self-assessment • Focused study • Evaluation of Progress

12. Self-Assessment • Exam Content: • Infectious disease process (23) • Surveillance and epidemiologic investigation (34) • Preventing/controlling transmission of infectious agents (34) • Program management and communication (20) • Education and research (13) • Infection control aspects of employee health (11)

13. Self-Assessment • Identify: • areas that you know well • areas that you need to refresh • areas that require the most study

14. Self-Assessment • Certification Study Guide: • Review material in outline format • Take sample test questions • Determine which questions you answered incorrectly or disagree with the answer provided

15. Focused Study • Develop a focused plan of study • Areas for refresher study • Areas for intensive study • Develop a timeline for study

16. Focused Study • Study: • Free from interruptions & distractions • Comfortable • Adequate light • Comfortable temperature • Large enough desk or table • Comfortable chair • All study materials available

17. Focused Study • APIC Text: • Intensively study in weak areas • Review other material as needed • Other resources as needed

18. Focused Study • Study Group: • Source of encouragement and motivation • Easier to ask questions in a small group • Members more committed to being prepared

19. Focused Study • Find or Form a Study Group • Search for 3-5 ICPs who: • Are motivated to do well • Understand the subject matter • Dependable • Meet two or three times a week if possible • 60 to 90 minutes • meeting place free from distractions • leader for the study sessions responsible for keeping the group on task • Plan a schedule of topics for each session

21. Multiple Choice Exams • Have a strategy for taking the test that allows you to show what you know. D E T E R D = Directions E = Examine T = Time E = Easiest R = Review

22. Multiple Choice Exams • All questions consist of: • Stem – statement, question, central problem or situation • Options – possible answers for the stem.

23. Multiple Choice Exams • Analyze the stem of each question: • Focus of the issue or scenario • Key words • Subject and verb (if it is in the stem) • All negatives, superlatives and modifiers (qualifiers)

24. Multiple Choice Exams • Try to answer the question before reading the choices • Read all choices carefully • Eliminate choices you are certain are not correct

25. Multiple Choice Exams • Look for: • choices that are opposites • choices that do not agree grammatically with the stem • hints about the correct choice from other items on the exam • Caution • “all” or “none” • “least” or “most” • “except” or “not”

26. Multiple Choice Exams • Review: • Completeness • Changing answers improves scores most of the time • If you really don’t know, guess

28. Sample Questions Stem: Which immune marker represents past exposure to disease? Choices: • IgG • IgE • IgM • IgA Which immune marker represents pastexposure to disease? • IgG • IgE • IgM • IgA

29. Sample Questions Stem: You are called to the ER to talk to an employee with parotitis. The ER physician has written her a prescription for antibiotics and asks you if she can return to work. The employee has no history of childhood illnesses. Your recommendation would be: Stem: You are called to the ER to talk to an employee with parotitis. The ER physician has written her a prescription for antibiotics and asks you if she can return to work. The employee has no history of childhood illnesses. Your recommendation would be:

30. Sample Questions Choices: a. The employee may return to work in a non-clinical area. b. The employee may return to work but not be around immunocompromised patients. c. The employee should have serological testing for mumps and may return to work if the IgM results are negative. d. The employee should be off work for at least 2 weeks after onset of the parotitis. a. The employee may return to work in a non-clinical area. b. The employee may return to work but not be around immunocompromised patients. c. The employee should have serological testing for mumps and may return to work if the IgM results are negative. d. The employee should be off work for at least 2 weeks after onset of the parotitis.

31. Sample Questions Stem: Because of an increase in acuity in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the number of ventilator days has doubled. Your VAP rate has increased when compared with prior rates. Your first action would be: Stem: Because of an increase in acuity in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the number of ventilator days has doubled. Your VAP rate has increased when compared with prior rates. Your first action would be:

32. Sample Questions Choices: a. Communicate the infection rates to the medical and hospital staff. b. Continue to collect and trend data. c. Stratify risk factors; then develop charts and tables showing infections/acuity rate. d. Assemble a team to reduce the numbers of VAP. Choices: a. Communicate the infection rates to the medical and hospital staff. b. Continue to collect and trend data. c. Stratify risk factors; then develop charts and tables showing infections/acuity rate. d. Assemble a team to reduce the numbers of VAP.

33. Additional Resources • CBIC • On-line practice exam ($50) • Teleclass (free) • APIC • National • Local chapters • TSICP

34. CBIC Online Practice Exam • Realistic examination experience • based on current certification examination content • written in same format • Many questions included on previous certification exams and modified for practice • same software program as official exam • Content not as broad

35. CBIC Online Practice Exam • Unlimited accessions: • 24 hours/day, • 60 days from time of purchase • May take the test only once • Report via e-mail with overall score in each area • Ability to review the questions and explanations

36. CBIC Teleclass April 12, 2007 1:30 - 2:30 pm EST Shiela MacDonald & Sharon Krystofiek, CBIC Board Who's Afraid of the CIC Exam?

37. APIC Pre-conference Certification Review Course • 2 day review course • Supplement to personal study • In-depth overview of major content areas tested in the Infection Control Certification Examination • Review of the basic issues, questions, practice tests • June 23-24, 2007 • Early Bird $320, Regular $510 members

38. Celebrate CIC