Health Sciences and Social Services Curative Health

Asepsis and Sterility Principles in Healthcare Training

SAQA US 256536 | NQF 4 | Credits 12 | Duration 9 Days
From $1,318 per delegate

Description

This course equips healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills to apply asepsis and sterility principles, preventing healthcare-associated infections and ensuring patient safety. Participants will learn to maintain sterile fields, perform aseptic procedures, and manage infection control in clinical settings.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the principles of asepsis and sterility to prevent infection in a healthcare environment
  • Demonstrate correct hand hygiene techniques and use of personal protective equipment
  • Prepare and maintain a sterile field for clinical procedures
  • Identify and manage breaches in aseptic technique
  • Implement infection control measures according to standard protocols
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of aseptic practices in patient care

Target Audience

This course is designed for healthcare professionals including nurses, clinical technicians, and support staff working in hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare facilities in South Africa.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Asepsis and Sterility

Objectives:
• Define asepsis and sterility in the healthcare context
• Explain the importance of infection prevention and control
• Identify key terminology and concepts
• Understand the historical development of aseptic techniques
• Recognize the impact of healthcare-associated infections

Topics:
• Definitions: asepsis, sterile, clean, contaminated
• History of asepsis: Semmelweis, Lister, Pasteur
• Chain of infection
• Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)
• Principles of infection prevention and control
• Regulatory framework: SAQA, HPCSA, WHO guidelines

Day 2: Microbiology for Asepsis

Objectives:
• Describe the types of microorganisms relevant to healthcare
• Understand modes of transmission
• Explain the role of normal flora and pathogens
• Identify factors influencing microbial growth
• Apply microbiological principles to aseptic practice

Topics:
• Bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions
• Pathogenicity and virulence
• Reservoirs and sources of infection
• Modes of transmission: contact, droplet, airborne
• Microbial growth requirements
• Spore formation and significance

Day 3: Hand Hygiene and Standard Precautions

Objectives:
• Demonstrate correct hand hygiene technique
• Explain the 5 moments for hand hygiene
• Apply standard precautions in patient care
• Differentiate between hand washing and hand rubbing
• Identify when to use gloves and other PPE

Topics:
• Hand hygiene: WHO guidelines
• Alcohol-based hand rub vs. soap and water
• Surgical hand antisepsis
• Gloving: sterile vs. clean
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
• Waste management and sharps safety

Day 4: Sterilization Methods and Principles

Objectives:
• Describe different sterilization methods
• Explain the principles of steam sterilization
• Identify appropriate sterilization for various items
• Understand sterilization indicators and monitoring
• Apply safety precautions during sterilization

Topics:
• Steam sterilization (autoclaving)
• Ethylene oxide (ETO) sterilization
• Hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization
• Dry heat sterilization
• Filtration and radiation
• Biological, chemical, and physical indicators
• Sterilization validation and record keeping

Day 5: Disinfection and Antisepsis

Objectives:
• Differentiate between disinfection and antisepsis
• Select appropriate disinfectants for different settings
• Understand factors affecting disinfection efficacy
• Apply principles of environmental cleaning
• Demonstrate proper use of antiseptics on skin

Topics:
• Levels of disinfection: high, intermediate, low
• Chemical disinfectants: alcohols, chlorine, aldehydes
• Antiseptics: chlorhexidine, iodine, alcohol
• Environmental cleaning protocols
• Spaulding classification
• Disinfection of equipment and surfaces
• Safety and handling of chemicals

Day 6: Aseptic Technique in Clinical Procedures

Objectives:
• Perform aseptic technique for wound care
• Apply aseptic principles during catheterization
• Maintain sterile field during procedures
• Identify breaks in asepsis and corrective actions
• Understand sterile draping and gowning

Topics:
• Creating and maintaining a sterile field
• Sterile gowning and gloving
• Aseptic technique for wound dressing
• Urinary catheterization: aseptic precautions
• Central line insertion and care
• Surgical site preparation
• Common errors and how to avoid them

Day 7: Sterile Supply Management and Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD)

Objectives:
• Describe the workflow in a CSSD
• Explain decontamination and cleaning processes
• Understand packaging and storage of sterile items
• Apply principles of sterile storage and transportation
• Monitor quality assurance in CSSD

Topics:
• CSSD layout and workflow
• Decontamination: cleaning, disinfection, sterilization
• Packaging materials and methods
• Sterile storage: shelving, rotation, expiry
• Transportation of sterile supplies
• Quality control: biological indicators, logs
• Traceability and documentation

Day 8: Infection Prevention and Control Programs

Objectives:
• Understand the components of an IPC program
• Explain surveillance and outbreak management
• Apply principles of antimicrobial stewardship
• Identify roles of infection control committee
• Develop strategies for education and training

Topics:
• Elements of an IPC program
• Surveillance of HAIs
• Outbreak investigation and control
• Antimicrobial stewardship basics
• Infection control committee structure
• Staff education and competency assessment
• Audits and feedback

Day 9: Practical Integration and Assessment

Objectives:
• Integrate aseptic principles into daily practice
• Demonstrate competency in selected procedures
• Apply problem-solving skills to infection control scenarios
• Reflect on personal practice and areas for improvement
• Complete final assessment

Topics:
• Case studies: infection prevention challenges
• Simulation scenarios
• Practical exam: aseptic technique
• Written assessment
• Action plan for practice improvement
• Course review and evaluation

Practicals

28 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Hands-on practical sessions are essential for developing and assessing competence in aseptic and sterile techniques. Learners will practice hand hygiene, gloving, gowning, sterile field setup, wound dressing, and catheterization under supervision, followed by a final practical assessment.

Practical Activities
  • Hand Hygiene and Gloving — Learners practice WHO hand hygiene steps and sterile gloving technique, with feedback on technique. (4h)
  • Sterile Gowning and Draping — Learners practice donning sterile gown and gloves, and setting up a sterile field with drapes. (4h)
  • Aseptic Wound Dressing — Learners perform aseptic wound dressing changes on mannequins, including cleaning and applying sterile dressings. (6h)
  • Urinary Catheterization (Male/Female) — Learners practice sterile catheter insertion on training mannequins, emphasizing aseptic technique. (6h)
  • Final Practical Assessment — Learners demonstrate competency in a simulated scenario requiring multiple aseptic skills, assessed using a checklist. (8h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,318 Register
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Wed 29 Dec 2027 Mon 10 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,318 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,318 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 482 sessions across 26 venues
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Fri 21 Aug 2026 Wed 02 Sep 2026 Harare, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $3,731 Register
Fri 21 Aug 2026 Wed 02 Sep 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,891 Register
Mon 24 Aug 2026 Thu 03 Sep 2026 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $3,731 Register
Mon 24 Aug 2026 Thu 03 Sep 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,891 Register
Tue 25 Aug 2026 Fri 04 Sep 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,569 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 15 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,712 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Thu 15 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,712 Register
Fri 30 Oct 2026 Wed 11 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,712 Register
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Fri 26 Mar 2027 Wed 07 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,712 Register
Thu 17 Jun 2027 Tue 29 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,712 Register
Wed 07 Jul 2027 Mon 19 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,712 Register
Tue 27 Jul 2027 Fri 06 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,712 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Thu 23 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,712 Register
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Thu 28 Oct 2027 Tue 09 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,712 Register
Fri 17 Dec 2027 Wed 29 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,712 Register
Thu 06 Jan 2028 Tue 18 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,712 Register
Wed 26 Jan 2028 Mon 07 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,712 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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