Episode 9 — The Importance of a Point of Care Risk Assessment (PCRA)

A Point of Care Risk Assessment, or PCRA, is any interaction with a resident or patient in which healthcare workers make rapid decisions throughout their shift to reduce their risk of exposure:

• What is the risk of exposure?

• What PPE is required?

• Is this the right environment for this task?

• What precautions are needed based on what I see, hear, and know?

In this episode, I walk through the purpose of a PCRA, why it’s distinct from Routine Practices and Additional Precautions, and how frontline staff use PCRA as a real-time safety tool to protect residents, patients, and themselves.

We’ll cover:

✔ What a PCRA is and why it matters

✔ How frontline staff use PCRA thinking before every interaction

✔ The difference between PCRA and Routine Practices

✔ Practical examples from acute care, LTC, and community

✔ How PCRAs support safe workflows and reduce preventable exposures

This is a foundational concept in IPAC — and when done consistently, it strengthens safety culture, reduces transmission risk, and improves decision-making at every point of care.

Healthcare teams need PPE systems that adapt to real-world needs—not rigid designs that never fit the environment. After 23 years in infection control and healthcare leadership, I’ve seen the same challenges repeated across LTC, acute care, and community settings.

To solve this, I’m building a modular, configurable PPE storage system—a “LEGO-style” approach that allows gloves, masks, gowns, wipes, face shields, and other components to be rearranged, removed, added, or replaced in seconds.

The next step is developing a full CAD-engineered, 3D-printed prototype.

To make this possible, I’m seeking:

1️⃣ Engineering or Capstone Teams

– Schools of engineering, design, CAD, product development

– Looking for a meaningful, real-world innovation project

2️⃣ Sponsors & Industry Partners

- GOJO, Diversey/Solenis, Virox, Medline, Clorox Healthcare, Sani Marc, Cardinal Health, 3M, Ecolab, and others

– Funding or material support for prototype development

3️⃣ Healthcare Pilot Sites

- Extendicare, Shannex, Revera, Northwood, Bayshore, Nova Scotia Health, Horizon, Acute Care & LTC partners

– For real-world testing and workflow validation

If your organization is interested in collaborating, sponsoring, or piloting this modular PPE system, I’d be happy to connect.

📩 Contact:

Wayne Tucker, MSc, EMBA, CIC, LTC-CIP

Founder – Infection Control Exchange Ecosystem

tuckerwayne100@gmail.com

Let’s build infection-control tools that actually work for healthcare teams.

Episode 8 – Who I Am & How I Support Healthcare Organizations

In this special episode of The Infection Control Exchange, I take a step back from the technical topics and share more about my background, my journey in infection prevention, and the hands-on support I provide across long-term care, acute care, and community settings.

In this episode, I discuss:

• My education, credentials, and professional experience

• How I approach IPAC challenges in real-world environments

• Guiding teams through inspections, audits, and compliance work

• Lessons learned from outbreaks and complex cases

• Supporting frontline teams, leaders, and quality programs

• Why I design practical tools, workflows, and educational products

• The purpose and vision behind The Infection Control Exchange Ecosystem

If you’re considering IPAC consulting, leadership support, outbreak assistance, or practical problem-solving for your organization, this episode is the best introduction to how I can help.

🎙 Hosted by: Wayne Tucker (MSc, EMBA, CIC, LTC-CIP)