Bloodborne Pathogens in the Healthcare Setting

The Bloodborne Pathogens in Healthcare Settings course from the American Institute of Safety Professionals provides healthcare-specific BBP training that goes beyond the general Bloodborne Pathogens course by addressing the exposure scenarios, engineering controls, and post-exposure protocols unique to healthcare: needlestick injuries from patient care procedures, sharps exposure during surgery, blood splash during emergency care, body fluid exposure during patient handling, specimen handling in laboratories, and the healthcare-specific engineering controls (safety-engineered sharps devices, needleless systems, closed blood-draw systems) that prevent exposure.

The curriculum covers healthcare-specific exposure scenarios (bedside care, surgery, emergency, laboratory, EVS), standard and transmission-based precautions, healthcare-specific engineering controls (safety IV catheters, retractable syringes, blunt suture needles, needleless connectors, safety lancets, blood tube holders), sharps container management in clinical settings, PPE donning/doffing in healthcare (the sequence matters), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP for HIV, HBV post-exposure management), Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act compliance, exposure control plan management in healthcare, and the Sharps Injury Log analysis that drives engineering control improvement. All training is delivered 100% online through the American Institute of Safety Professionals LMS. Upon completion, graduates receive a certificate, wallet card, and transcript, employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify healthcare-specific exposure scenarios: needlestick during injection/blood draw, scalpel injury during surgery, blood splash during emergency procedures, body fluid contact during patient care, specimen spill in laboratory, and the clinical scenarios where BBP exposure occurs most frequently.
• Implement healthcare-specific engineering controls: safety IV catheters, retractable syringes, blunt suture needles, needleless IV connectors, safety lancets, safety blood collection systems, and the device selection that prevents the needlestick injuries accounting for the majority of healthcare BBP exposures.
• Apply standard and transmission-based precautions: standard precautions for all patient contact, contact precautions (gown, gloves), droplet precautions (mask), airborne precautions (N95, negative pressure), and the precaution-based approach to infection prevention.
• Execute post-exposure prophylaxis: HIV PEP (initiate within hours, 28-day regimen, follow-up testing), HBV post-exposure management (based on vaccination status and source testing), and the urgent response that begins immediately after a significant exposure.
• Manage the Sharps Injury Log: recording injuries (device type, department, procedure, body part), analysing patterns, using data to select safer devices, and the annual review with frontline worker input per the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.

Core Curriculum Topics

• Healthcare Exposure Scenarios: bedside, surgery, emergency, lab, EVS — specific risks
• Standard/Transmission Precautions: standard, contact, droplet, airborne
• Safety-Engineered Sharps: safety IVs, retractable syringes, needleless, blunt sutures
• Sharps Container Management: clinical placement, fill level, replacement, transport
• PPE in Healthcare: donning/doffing sequence, gown/gloves/mask/shield, contamination prevention
• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis: HIV PEP protocol, HBV management, urgency, follow-up
• Needlestick Safety Act: annual review, frontline input, engineering control evaluation
• Exposure Control Plan: healthcare-specific elements, annual update, department-level
• Sharps Injury Log: recording, analysis, pattern identification, device improvement
• EVS and Laundry: regulated waste, contaminated laundry, decontamination

• No prior training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Nurses, physicians, and clinical staff
• Surgical team members
• Emergency department staff
• Laboratory workers handling specimens
• Environmental services (EVS) workers in healthcare
• Healthcare safety officers managing BBP programmes

• Bloodborne Pathogens in Healthcare Settings — YOU ARE HERE
• Bloodborne Pathogens in the Workplace (general BBP for all industries)
• Healthcare Worker Safety (broader healthcare safety)
• International Diploma in Healthcare EVS Management