Antimicrobial stewardship: Start smart, review and talk about antibiotics

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 15 details that are specific to your organisation.

Length
45 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At induction for prescribers
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Course preview
Interactive course

Scenarios, sorting activities and quizzes with feedback on every answer.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 45 minutes
  • 2 video slots (you add the videos)
  • Sorting activity, scenario, flashcards, step-by-step and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 11 slides
  • Poll, open-ended slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 148.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
LO 148.1.1Explain why antimicrobial resistance matters and how everyday prescribing drives itWHO AMR fact sheet 2026; WHO AWaRe antibiotic book 2022Lesson 1: Why resistance matters
LO 148.2.1Start antibiotics smartly: samples first, an accurate allergy history, the local guideline and a documented indication and review date + your infoUKHSA Start smart then focus 2023; NICE NG15Lesson 2: Start smart: cultures and guidelines
LO 148.3.1Review antibiotics at 48 to 72 hours with a clear CARES decision, including IV-to-oral switchUKHSA Start smart then focus 2023; UKHSA IVOS criteria 2024Lesson 3: Review at 48 to 72 hours and IV-to-oral switch
LO 148.4.1Decide "treat or not" in common urinary and respiratory cases using national guidance + your infoNICE NG109, NG120, NG250; UKHSA UTI diagnostic tools 2025Lesson 4: Common infections: UTI and respiratory
LO 148.5.1Talk with patients about antibiotics, back-up prescriptions and safety-nettingNICE NG15; NHS websiteLesson 5: Patient conversations about antibiotics

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 15 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 45 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why resistance matters

3 pages

9 min
Before you beginNoteYour infoList
When the medicines stop workingTextKey factFlashcardsNoteYour infoQuiz
Access, Watch, Reserve and your partTabsKey factSorting activityNoteYour infoQuiz
2

Start smart: cultures and guidelines

3 pages

8 min
Assess and investigate firstTextStep-by-stepQuiz
The allergy questionTextAccordionYour infoScenario
Use the guideline, write the planTextChecklistNoteYour infoYour infoMulti-select quiz
3

Review at 48 to 72 hours and IV-to-oral switch

3 pages

8 min
Then focusTextProcessYour infoQuiz
Is it time to switch from IV to oral?TextStep-by-stepNoteYour infoQuiz
Nurses and pharmacistsScenarioNoteYour info
4

Common infections: UTI and respiratory

3 pages

8 min
UrineTextFlashcardsQuiz
Lower UTITableNoteYour infoSorting activityQuiz
Coughs and pneumoniaAccordionScenario
5

Patient conversations about antibiotics

2 pages

6 min
When the patient expects antibioticsTextProcessNoteQuiz
Back-up prescriptions and safety-nettingTextQuoteSorting activityYour infoNoteYour infoQuiz
6

Final assessment

2 pages

6 min
Final assessmentTextQuiz
CompletionKey factListNoteYour infoButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

11 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

Title + agenda (+ notesTemplate only, not clinical advice; every case today is fictional; follow your local antimicrobial guideline.")
PollPoll (attitudes survey, anonymous): "How often do you feel pressure to prescribe or give antibiotics 'just in case'?" - Never / Sometimes / Often / Most days
Content · customiseWhy it matters, with our local data {{LOCAL_AMS_DATA}} and the WHO 1-in-6 figure [MED-18-V03]
PickPick answer (fictional case, notes say "fictional"): "Day 3 of IV antibiotics, afebrile for 24 hours, eating, early warning score falling, no review date. Best next step?" - Review now and check IV-to-oral switch criteria ✔ / Continue IV to 7 days / Stop without review / Add a second antibiotic [MED-18-V14] [MED-18-V17]
Match pairsCARES - Cease ↔ no evidence of infection · Amend ↔ narrower spectrum · Refer ↔ outpatient antibiotic service · Extend ↔ new review or stop date · Switch ↔ IV to oral [MED-18-V14]
Categorise "Treat or not"No-symptom positive dipstick in care home resident (Do not treat) · man with lower UTI symptoms (Treat per guideline) · cough and runny nose, well (Do not treat) · pregnant woman, bacteriuria on routine culture (Treat per guideline) [MED-18-V23] [MED-18-V24] [MED-18-V22] [MED-18-V28]
True or falseMost people labelled penicillin-allergic are truly allergic." - False ✔ [MED-18-V12]
Open-endedWhat do you say when a patient insists on antibiotics?" (collect phrases, then show NICE's discussion points) [MED-18-V32]
Content · customiseOur guideline, restricted list and how to reach the AMS team {{LOCAL_ANTIMICROBIAL_GUIDELINE}}, {{RESTRICTED_ANTIBIOTICS_LIST}}, {{AMS_TEAM_CONTACT}}
Scales 1-5How confident are you to question an antibiotic prescription that has no review date?
ClosingClosing - {{SURVEY_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How much do you agree? grid
  6. In the past month, how often did you see an antibiotic without a documented review date? multiple choice
  7. What would help most? multiple choice
  8. In my team, anyone can question an antibiotic prescription without fear of a bad reaction. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find our local antimicrobial guideline and the AMS team contact? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

15 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Local antibiotic guideline or app{{LOCAL_ANTIMICROBIAL_GUIDELINE}}
  • Antibiotics that need microbiology or AMS approval{{RESTRICTED_ANTIBIOTICS_LIST}}
  • Local prescribing and resistance figures{{LOCAL_AMS_DATA}}
  • The AMS team, microbiology or antimicrobial pharmacist contact{{AMS_TEAM_CONTACT}}
  • Local allergy assessment and de-labelling pathway{{PENICILLIN_ALLERGY_PATHWAY}}
  • Outpatient or virtual-ward antibiotic service, if any{{OPAT_SERVICE}}
Show all 15 fields
  • Local IV-to-oral switch policy or decision aid{{IVOS_POLICY}}
  • How nurses and pharmacists flag a missed antibiotic review{{REVIEW_PROMPT_ROUTE}}
  • The number patients call if they get worse{{OUT_OF_HOURS_NUMBER}}
  • Patient information on antibiotics and self-care{{PATIENT_LEAFLETS}}
  • Educator contact{{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Survey URL{{SURVEY_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run antimicrobial stewardship: Start smart, review and talk about antibiotics training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At induction for prescribers, pharmacists and nurses who give antibiotics, then a regular update at the interval your organisation sets (organisation policy).

Who needs this training?

Doctors and non-medical prescribers in hospital, pharmacists, ward nurses who give and review antibiotics, and community prescribers who manage common infections.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.