UCOL Whanganui first to offer infection risk management course in the lower North Island

Lucy Eade was pleased to introduce a new graduate certificate to UCOL. Photo / Supplied

Students of UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui will be among the first in the lower North Island to learn about infection risk management skills as a new course on the topic will start next year.

The Graduate Certificate in Infection Risk Management (Level 7) will start in semester one, 2023 and will be offered at the Manawatū, Whanganui, and Wairarapa campuses, subject to approval and accreditation from NZQA.

The 16-week-long programme is for graduates of health-related degrees or those working in health and science-related fields and will cover the fundamentals of infection risk management, microbiology, epidemiology and Māori health models.

Academic portfolio manager of nursing programmes at UCOL, Lucy Eade, said due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, interest in learning about infection risk management had greatly increased.

"We reached out to our industry contacts to gauge the interest levels for this course and were surprised with the strong positive response levels," she said.

She said UCOL lecturers were looking forward to delivering the qualification as it will be a great opportunity to reconnect with UCOL alumni who have since gone out into the workforce.

"Having this qualification as a post-graduate option will be fantastic for those who have studied a health and science discipline and are looking to specialise in the area of infection risk management."

The aim of the qualification is to enable students to develop skills and knowledge for implementing risk management programmes within health-related organisations and environments, according to Eade.

"The course is not only for nurses or clinical staff. It's for anyone whose field of work involves the potential for infection transmission. This could include scientists, lab technicians, or allied health workers," she said.

The programme will be delivered by students undertaking on-campus learning in some aspects, while also having online and self-directed learning components, which Eade said would allow students who are also working to take part in the course.

This story has been updated since its original publication. UCOL has since advised the course will start in 2023 "subject to approval and accreditation from NZQA".