What is the Role of an Infection

Control Nurse?

Outbreaks of infectious diseases are rising globally, 1 and infection control

professionals are constantly facing new challenges, such as bacterial
resistance to antibiotics and the spread of highly contagious viruses like
COVID-19.2

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the global need for motivated nursing

and medical professionals who specialize in developing and implementing
infection prevention and control techniques. Infection control nurses play a
critical role in protecting public health—and the need for new practitioners in
this specialty is more evident than ever. This blog post breaks down the core
responsibilities of an infection control nurse and outlines the educational
requirements you need to step into this role.

What is Infection Control?

Infection control is the practical discipline of preventing infections acquired in

healthcare settings. Akin to a public health practice, infection control is an
essential process of every healthcare organization. It addresses factors
related to the spread of infections among patients, among staff, and between
patients and staff. This includes preventive measures such as hand washing,
cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, and vaccinating. Other aspects include
monitoring and managing outbreaks of infection and investigating their
causes.3

What Is an Infection Control Nurse (ICN)?3,4

An infection control nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who implements best

practices for halting the spread of viruses and bacteria and delivers top care
to patients who have contracted infectious diseases. In this profession, it is
critical to have strong attention to detail, the ability to work well under
pressure, and excellent communication skills.

What Does an Infection Control Nurse Do?

Infection control nurses work not only with patients and physicians but also
with scientists, public health experts, and government agencies to protect the
health of individuals and the public. Each year, nearly two million healthcare-
associated infections occur in the United States, resulting in close to 100,000
deaths.5 Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), Staphylococcus aureus
(staph), Klebsiella, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are the most common
pathogens causing hospital-acquired infections. Some responsibilities of
infection control nurses include:

 Gathering and analyzing infection data to make evidence-based

decisions
  Educating medical and public health professionals on infection
prevention protocols to facilitate emergency preparedness
 Isolating and treating infected individuals to contain the spread of
infectious diseases
 Assisting with the development of action plans in case of a community
or hospital outbreak to minimize the potentially devastating impact
 Collaborating with government agencies such as the CDC to ensure
that infection control practices are implemented and enforced
 Studying pathogens to determine origin in order to prevent future
outbreaks
 Assisting scientists and physicians with developing treatments and
vaccines to ensure the health and safety of patients and the community

Where Do Infection Control Nurses Work?

Infection control nurses work in a variety of healthcare settings, including:

 Hospitals
 Nursing homes and residential care facilities
 Community care centers
 Home health or ambulatory care settings
 Hospice programs
 Public health departments
 Emergency preparedness organizations

Education Requirements

In order to practice as an infection control nurse, you will at minimum need to

become a registered nurse (RN) by graduating from nursing school and
passing the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.

If you choose to enter a graduate program, you also need to have an RN

license to apply to most Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP) programs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR NURSING PROGRAMS

How to Obtain an Infection Control Certification

After you have at least two years of experience practicing as a registered
nurse, you will be eligible to sit for the Certification in Infection Prevention and
Control (CIC®), which is awarded by the Certification Board of Infection
Control and Epidemiology (CBIC®).

In order to be eligible to take the CIC, you must meet the following
requirements6:
  You have a post-secondary degree from an accredited institution
(associate degree or higher) or a three-year diploma RN degree
(applicable through December 31, 2020).
 You have sufficient experience (two years are recommended)
identifying, surveilling, preventing, and controlling the transmission of
infectious diseases.
 You have experience with at least two of the following:

 Employee/occupational health
 Management and communication
 Education and research
 Environment of care
 Cleaning, sterilization, disinfection, and asepsis

 You have a relevant job title (e.g., infection preventionist,

epidemiologist).

Getting this certification demonstrates that you are an expert in infection

control in accordance with the professional standards developed by
the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. APIC
is the leading professional association for infection preventionists, with over
15,000 members. According to APIC, a growing number of employers expect
candidates to be working toward or hold a CIC®, as it shows them that
candidates are knowledgeable about best practices in infection prevention
and control and have a strong commitment to professional growth.

Thanks to the increased awareness of risks and the additional preventive

measures being taken in hospitals, the medical community has made
significant progress in reducing the incidence of various types of hospital-
acquired infections. The COVID-19 outbreak clearly demonstrates the need
for personal protective equipment and planning in the fight against pandemics
of dangerous pathogens.

Learn more about our advanced nursing programs here.

Additional Resources:

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
(APIC)
 American Journal of Infection Control

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers Master of
Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Post-
Graduate Nursing Certificates designed for working nurses. Our degrees are
offered online, with optional on-campus immersions* and an annual
interprofessional trip abroad. Role specialties include Family Nurse
Practitioner (FNP), Nurse Educator,** and Nurse Executive. The MSN has
several options to accelerate your time to degree completion. Complete
coursework when and where you want—and earn your advanced nursing
degree while keeping your work and life in balance.

*The FNP role specialty includes two required hands-on clinical intensives as
part of the curriculum.
**The Nurse Educator role specialty is not available for the DNP program.
3 “Infection Prevention and Control,” Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infection_prevention_and_control

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION

1. Christiansen, Jen, “Global Infections by the Numbers,” Scientific American, May 1,

2018:   https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/global-infections-by-the-numbers/ [↩]
2. Baylor College of Medicine, “Emerging Infectious Diseases”:
“https://www.bcm.edu/departments/molecular-virology-and-microbiology/emerging-
infections-and-biodefense/emerging-infectious-diseases [↩]
3. Registered Nursing, “Infection Control Nurse,” last updated/verified Feb 24,
2020: https://www.registerednursing.org/specialty/infection-control-nurse/ [↩]
4. GraduateNursingEDU.org, “Infection Control Nurse
(ICN)”: https://www.graduatenursingedu.org/infection-control/ [↩]
5. Monegro et al., “Hospital Acquired Infections,” StatPearls, last updated Jan. 7,
2020: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441857/ [↩]
6. Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, “Requirements for CIC® Initial
Certification and for Lapsed Certificants”: https://www.cbic.org/CBIC/Candidate-
Handbook/Eligibility-Requirements.htm [↩]