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Infection Control Nurse (ICN) at a Glance

As an Infection Control Nurse your role is to identify, create, and employ best practices for sanitation and infection management. Whether it’s a contained infection or a global pandemic, your colleagues will look to you for guidance in controlling and eliminating infectious threats that may be present. If you’re a quick thinker, an inherent innovator, and a born puzzler, a career in infection control could be highly rewarding and consistently stimulating.
What is an Infection Control Nurse?
An Infection Control Nurse, also known as an Infection Prevention Nurse, helps prevent and identify the spread of infectious agents like bacteria and viruses in a healthcare environment. ICNs are meticulous and detail-oriented individuals who can effectively communicate best practices to their colleagues to ensure the safety of patients in an institution’s care. Their knowledge of the risks of various infectious agents is crucial when dealing with both contained infections and broader outbreaks. These nurses are natural-born problem solvers and innovators, and are always at the forefront of modern healthcare solutions.

What’s the Demand for Infection Control Nurses?

As we’ve seen in widespread outbreaks, like Ebola, and global pandemics, such as COVID-19, the more experienced people we have in infection-related positions, the better. And while such massive infection threats thankfully may not be common, ICNs are still indispensable members of everyday medical teams, ensuring that our healthcare centers are safe and sanitary for everyone who walks in their doors.

How Do You Become an Infection Control Nurse?

An Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) is the standard minimum requirement for ICNs, but many employers prefer prospective hires to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN). As with most nursing specialties, before entering a specialized field, you must first spend at least one year working as a registered nurse to build a solid base of hands-on experience. Then, once you have the necessary education and training, you’ll need to pass a certification exam, courtesy of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Once complete, you’ll be ready to begin your journey as a registered Infection Control Nurse.

Required education
ADN or BSN
Average annual salary
$50k–$95k
On average, an ICN can make $51k-$93k per year. Of course, this range is dependent on years of experience, the kind of employer you work for, and the state and city you work in. While not required, prospective ICNs also have the opportunity to pursue a Master's of Public Health (MPH), which would increase your financial worth in the eyes of future employers.
Remember, the more informed and engaged you are, the more valuable you are in any healthcare situation. Your skill at communicating best practices and potential risks, and your ability to come up with effective plans of action during infection-based emergencies, will make you essential to whatever institution you’re working in.

Source: PayScale, Aug 2018

WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF AN ICN?
Research-oriented
Information is your most powerful asset in preventing and fighting any kind of infectious threat. As an ICN, it’s your job to be as informed as possible on how an infection might spread, the danger it poses, and what kind of treatments are best for containing and eliminating immediate and future threats. The more knowledge you have, the better you’ll be able to serve your patients and colleagues.
Structured
For an ICN, organization is essential to ensuring proper sanitary and safety practices. When an infection poses a threat, the best way to protect your patients, colleagues, the public and yourself is to create and follow a strict, structured treatment protocol.
Varied
No two infections are the same, so it’s on you as an ICN to adapt to the varied challenges and cases that come across your desk. Along with the broad range of infections you may face, each of your patients will have their own unique risks based on their age and health background. It’s your job as the ICN to take this all into account and communicate with doctors, and decide on the best plan for everyone.
Quite often, if people are having difficulties or admissions, they will call us for ideas on medical countermeasures or on clinical management."
- Colleen Kraft, Infection Control Physician
What does an Infection Control Nurse do?
Brief Overview
Brief Overview

The role of an Infection Control Nurse can vary depending on where you’re working, but the overarching responsibility is infection prevention and management. It’s your job to stay informed, be proactive and communicate effectively with your patients and colleagues.

Analysis
Analysis

As an ICN, you’ll analyze infection data, facts and trends, and share your findings with other healthcare professionals. This can mean reading academic articles, connecting with colleagues who may have relevant findings, and staying up to date on any announcements via the CDC. Information is your friend! Make time to stay as up to date on new practices and findings as possible, so you can be prepared for anything.

Education
Education

You’ll educate your colleagues and patients on how to control and prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases. In this role, you’ll create and share sanitation plans to be implemented at your healthcare facility, and any other relevant community locations. If an infectious disease poses a threat outside the walls of these facilities, you’ll work with your community leaders to educate the broader public on how to ensure their health and safety.

Instruction
Instruction

As one of the most informed professionals on this topic, it’s also your responsibility to teach and reinforce infection control practices to fellow and future ICNs, and other medical professionals. In this capacity, you’ll act as a liaison between practicing medical officials and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This is where clear and effective communication skills are of the utmost importance, as you can profoundly influence how doctors address a potential infectious threat.

Research
Research

As an ICN, you’ll also work with scientists and doctors to study and identify the bacteria of infectious diseases and find new ways to treat or eliminate these illnesses. This research relies heavily on your ability to understand the composition and origins of potentially infectious pathogens, and can be the key to creating new practices that can better protect present and future patients.

Innovate
Innovate

As relied-upon problem solvers, Infection Control Nurses are usually among the most impactful innovators. Whether it’s coming up with new handwashing practices or working with scientists to design new protective gear, ICNs are constantly creating new and safer ways to practice medicine and protect their patients.

Where Can an Infection Control Nurse Work?
  • Ambulatory and Outpatient Care Centers
    ICNs can function in ambulatory and outpatient care centers as both hands-on nurses and general consultants. In these centers, which tend to have lots of traffic, it’s especially important to have ICNs on board who can monitor and implement proper sanitary practices.
  • Home Care & Hospice
    Home care and hospice services have grown quickly in recent years, because evidence shows that shorter stays in hospitals and ambulatory centers greatly reduce the risk of infection. As a result, ICNs are being leaned on to bring their expertise from large healthcare centers into patients’ homes—educating them and their caretakers on continued safe practices, and assisting in creating viable prevention plans.
  • Hospitals
    In hospitals, ICNs work to maintain best practices throughout the building. This means keeping all employees up to date on proper sanitation practices, new findings that they should be aware of, and working with hospital administration to implement measures necessary to ensure patient and staff safety. During mass outbreaks, like COVID-19, Infection Control Nurses are called on to help adjust these measures to best address the infection at large.
  • Long-Term Care Centers
    In long-term care centers, ICNs mainly function as Infection Preventionists. These centers are usually occupied by people with a range of health risks, and it’s the job of the ICN to make sure no patient’s safety is being overlooked with the current sanitary practices. This is a very strategic role, and requires constant adjustments and oversight depending on the patients under their care.
The ICN Path

Get an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing(BSN).

Depending on if you choose to earn your ADN or BSN, your core academic journey to becoming an Infection Control Nurse can take two to four years. If you decide to pursue your education further by earning your Master's in Public Health (MPH), this will add two to five years, based on the intensity of your program.

Pass the NCLEX-RN and work as a Registered Nurse.

To become an ICN, you must have at least one year of experience as a Registered Nurse. That’s before you apply for an MPH program, if that’s the path you choose to take.

Work as a staff nurse in Infection Control.

This is the time to observe and learn from ICNs to see how to best execute the many demands of the job. Be attentive and engaged, and use the knowledge you gain to inform future decisions.

Pass your Infection Control Certification Exam from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Passing this exam shows future employers that you’ve mastered core competencies, and know best practices surrounding Infection control and preventive care. This is a field with rapidly changing information, so it’s important to make it clear that you’re informed on all aspects of modern methods of care.

You’re ready to work as a ICN.

Now you’re about to join the ranks of some of the most innovative and forward thinking individuals within the medical field.
You’ll be a constant and valued resource to your colleagues, patients, and communities.

Innovation 101
Down to their core, nurses carry a fundamental respect for human dignity and an intuition for patient needs. That's why they're natural innovators. If you'd like to learn more about nurse-led innovation, here's where you can get started.
Sources
Group of smiling nurses in scrubs holding folders
Group of smiling nurses in scrubs holding folders
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