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What Is an Infection Control Nurse?
These nurses are on the lookout for trends and signs that could signal an infectious outbreak in a healthcare facility.
Infection Control Nurse at a glance
Where you’ll work: Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, governmental agencies, long-term healthcare facilities, home health organizations and hospices.
What you’ll do: Specialize in preventing, treating and controlling infections diseases. These nurses often develop and implement infectious disease protocols in healthcare facilities.
Minimum degree required: ADN or higher. Some infection control positions require that you are an APRN, which requires either an MSN or DNP.
Who it’s a good fit for: Infection control nurses often examine data to determine infection trends. Someone who is savvy in data analysis could make a great infection control nurse.
Job perks: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infection control jobs are in high demand to prevent future pandemics. This can lead to a greater level of job security compared to other jobs, since employers are prioritizing these roles.
Opportunities if you pursue a higher degree or certification: It is common for infection control jobs to ask that you have either an Associate Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC) certification, or have a Certification in Infection Control (CIC). Both of these certifications are granted by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC). The a-IPC is a stepping stone to a CIC certification, for those who are not yet eligible for the CIC.
Median annual salary: $86,070
Pneumonia, influenza, catheter-associated infections, COVID-19: These are just a few of the medical challenges infection control nurses battle.
These important nurses specialize in the prevention, treatment, and control of infectious diseases. Depending on their role, they may also develop protocols for preventing the spread of infection, educate healthcare providers, or track patterns of infection on a large scale.
In this Article
How to Become an Infection Control Nurse | Licenses and Certifications | What Do They Do? | Salary | Career Outlook | Professional Resources
“For everything we do, patient safety is at the center,” says Apryl McElheny, the clinical director/administrator, quality assurance coordinator, and infection preventionist for the Laurel Laser and Surgery Center in Pennsylvania. “We work to ensure the safety of patients and employees and to keep the organization running and profitable. This is even more critical in times of a public health crisis.”
How to Become an Infection Control Nurse
The titles infection control nurse and infection preventionist can be used interchangeably. To pursue this role, you’ll need to be a registered nurse (RN). Some employers require nurses hold a more advanced nursing designation, such as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).
To become an infection control nurse, you need to be an RN, or in some cases, an APRN.
An infection control nurse is not an entry-level position. “You’re not going to be hired as an infection control nurse right out of nursing school,” McElheny explains. “Nursing school gives you the foundation you need in infection control and prevention, but it won’t make you eligible for an infection preventionist position.”
That is why you need to pursue infection prevention experience in whatever entry-level nursing position you land.
Education at a Glance
Degree You Need: Minimum of an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing (ASN), a type of two-year degree similar to an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) that focuses on clinical skills
How Long It Takes: 2 years or more
Where You Can Work: Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, governmental agencies, long-term healthcare facilities, home health organizations, hospices
Licenses or Certifications You’ll Need: RN license at a minimum; often a Certification in Infection Control (CIC) as well
How Do I Get Infection Control Experience?
You might be wondering how you can enter this field if you need experience to get a job! “There are many things you can do to work toward a career as an infection control nurse,” McElheny says. She recommends taking these steps.
Licenses and Certifications
Most infection control nurse positions require not only an RN license but also certifications to demonstrate their knowledge in this specialty. Applicable certifications include an Associate Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC) and Certification in Infection Control (CIC).
The a-IPC is an entry-level certification, while the CIC requires more on-the-job experience. Like most healthcare certifications, they both involve passing a standardized exam.
Neither is required to practice as an infection control nurse, but “the CIC certification is the gold standard and what most employers are looking for,” McElheny says.
Associate Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC)
Certification in Infection Control (CIC)
Required Education: None
Required Work Experience: None
Exam Details: 100 questions over two hours, completed on a computer
Certifying Organization: Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC)
Ongoing Requirements: The certification is valid for three years and is non-renewable. The expectation is that a-IPC professionals will then earn a CIC.
Required Education: A degree, such as an ADN, ASN, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing, from an accredited institution
Required Work Experience: Two years of experience with infection control-related duties, such as surveillance, identification of infectious disease, preventing the spread of infections, sterilization processes, and education
Exam Details: 150 questions on a computer-based test
Certifying Organization: Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC)
Ongoing requirements: The certification must be renewed every five years. Recertification can be completed by passing a standardized computer-based test or by completing 40 credits of approved infection prevention-focused ongoing education.
What Do Infection Control Nurses Do?
You already know that the duties of an infection control nurse depend on your title, experience, and work setting. That said, infection control nurses usually have some combination of the following responsibilities.
No matter which specific tasks infection preventionists perform, “these jobs give you an opportunity to be a problem-solver,” McElheny says. Whether you’re stopping the spread of influenza, persuading hospital leadership to fund staff-wide training, or designing a harm reduction campaign for people who engage in risky behavior, you’ll need critical thinking skills and creativity.
Other Infectious Disease Nursing Roles
While all nurses are committed to patient health, curbing the spread of infectious disease manifests itself in a variety of ways, depending on the specific role a nurse holds. If you’re interested in infection prevention and control, you can explore these related roles:
Nurse Epidemiologist
Work in a public health department to track patterns of infectious disease, such as influenza
Infection Control Staff Educator
Research current best practices and teach employees how to correctly follow procedures to reduce the spread of infection
Communicable Disease Nurse
Run outreach, treatment, and data analysis programs for populations that have contracted, or are at risk of contracting, communicable diseases such as HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis
Epidemiologist and Infection Control Nurse: What’s the Difference?
The number of titles and terms for infection control nurses can be confusing. So, what is the difference between an infection control nurse or infection preventionist and an epidemiologist?
The difference depends mainly on workplace and responsibilities. Epidemiologists focus on public health and often work for local, state, or federal agencies, such as a state health department. They look at infectious diseases from a bird’s-eye view. They track trends at a wider level rather than focusing on an organization, as infection control nurses do. Epidemiologists typically require a master’s degree, often in public health (MPH).
Not all infection control nurses deliver direct patient care, but many do. Epidemiologists do not.
If you want to pursue the public health route, look for the job title “nurse epidemiologist.” These roles can allow you to enter the field of epidemiology without a master’s degree.
Salary
As with most jobs in healthcare, compensation can vary greatly. The range in income depends on experience, education, where you live, the setting where you practice, certifications or specialties, and more.
Most infection control nurses are RNs, although you can also work in this role—and increase your earning potential—by earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and/or becoming a nurse practitioner.
“Your salary is based upon the organization’s budget, your roles and responsibilities, education, and experience,” McElheny explains. “Typically, I see a range of $50,000 to $95,000 for an infection control nurse.”
Career Outlook
“Infection prevention and control have become more critical than ever,” McElheny says. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of this role. In addition, hospital-acquired infections are serious but not uncommon challenges for healthcare facilities. Organizations are invested in addressing these issues, and that attention won’t wane anytime soon, McElheny says.
In addition, state and national regulations require that most healthcare facilities employ infection preventionists.
The result: greater demand for infection control nurses. The number of registered nurse jobs in the U.S. (including RNs who are infection preventionists) is projected to increase by 5.6% by 2031, according to the BLS.
The BLS predicts that demand for infectious disease nursing will increase 5.6% by 2031.
“Facilities are putting more of an emphasis on this role,” McElheny says. “The people who specialize in infection control are being asked to steer the ship: to make sure all protocols are in place so organizations can run safely.”
Professional Resources
“To become an infection preventionist, you have to become inquisitive,” McElheny says. “Look at research, read articles, and become involved.”
She recommends staying up to date on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other resources include:
With professional insight from:
Apryl McElheny, MBA, MSN, RN, CASC, CIC
Clinical Director and Administrator, Laurel Laser and Surgery Center; and CBIC Board Member