Elsie Truter

Quality and Development Manager/ Infection Prevention and Control Nurse

Biography

Elsie has been intrigued with the changing landscape of infection and infectious diseases well before she embarked on her Master’s thesis in Medical Ancient History. She has post-graduate diplomas in both perioperative nursing and Infection prevention and control. She has found that these specialist areas complement each other very well in their practical approach to infection prevention.

Historically, advancements in microbiology have generated changes in operating room design and behaviour to prevent infection. This challenge has grown ever more urgent as we face a world in which antibiotic resistance has become a ticking time bomb. Communicating the speed at which these changes are occurring to perioperative team members is vital. Can we and should we risk the current breakdowns in some OR behaviours that threaten our code of asepsis?

Elsie currently works in a small private hospital as their Infection Prevention and Control Professional and she frequently badgers the accommodating OR manager to allow her time in the OR to either scrub or assist – a request that is graciously granted.

The ever-changing landscape of infection – how communication is vital in preventing infection in a world of antibiotic resistance