What Does an Infection Control Nurse Do?
Infection control nurses educate other healthcare professionals and staff, patients, and the public on preventing infections and either apply or recommend evidence-based best practices. Responsibilities for infection control nurse jobs may include the following:
Primary Responsibilities
- Training and educating healthcare providers
- Communicating with the public and patients on infection control
- Overseeing safety practices such as handwashing
- Managing internal infection prevention campaigns
- Reviewing infection cases and recommending changes to avoid recurrences
Key Skills
- Meticulous
- Collaborative
- Creativity
- Foresight
Where Do Infection Control Nurses Work?
Infection control nurses mostly find employment in hospitals, residential care facilities, and other healthcare settings, but they also work for government and emergency preparedness organizations.
Hospitals Infection control nurses direct infection control practices, advise colleagues, and educate patients.
Residential Care Infection control nurses manage sanitation and other infection control practices, keep colleagues up-to-date on latest developments, and problem solve for potential health risks.
Public Health Centers Infection control nurses serve as a resource for public officials and the public, establish sanitation protocols, and collaborate with government agencies and businesses on sanitation practices and disease prevention.
Why Become an Infection Control Nurse?
Infection control nurse jobs can be very gratifying because they play a vital role in public health. Additionally, infectious disease nurse salaries are typically above the U.S. average. However, one of the challenges of being an infection control nurse includes managing frustration when people, sometimes even healthcare professionals, do not comply with protocols.
Advantages to Becoming an Infection Control Nurse
Disadvantages to Becoming an Infection Control Nurse
How to Become an Infection Control Nurse
Learn More About How To Become an Infection Control Nurse
How Much Do Infection Control Nurses Make?
The average annual salary for an infection control nurse is $83,486, comparable to the $93,600 median annual salary for all RNs. However, NPs generally earn a higher salary than RNs, including those who specialize in infection control. The median annual salary for nurse practitioners is $129,210.
Overall, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts 5% growth for all RN jobs.
What Are the Six Core Competencies of an Infection Preventionist?
1. Professional Stewardship
Professional stewardship encompasses accountability, ethical standards, appropriate management of resources, and other forms of responsibility to the profession and to stakeholders.
2. Research
Research includes not just conducting and publishing research but evaluating others' research findings, understanding how to identify the most effective practices from research studies, and applying those findings as appropriate.
3. Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Operations
IPC operations includes all aspects of infection prevention control, such as routine cleaning and sterilization, epidemiology, appropriate use of antibiotics, and education.
4. Quality Improvement
Quality improvement is the discipline of consistently gathering and analyzing data about performance to identify improvement opportunities at every level of detail and complexity.
5. IPC Informatics
IPC informatics involves the gathering, storing, and analyzing of relevant data. This also includes finding new ways of gathering data, such as performing surveillance, to receive earlier detection and respond faster to infections.
6. Leadership
Leadership includes communication and critical thinking, understanding management and behavioral sciences, collaboration with various teams, program management, and mentorship.
Resources for Infection Control Nurses
Frequently Asked Questions About Infection Control Nurses
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