An infection control nurse must also be ready to assist in the containment of infection during widespread contamination. Add your voice to the #EveryNurse community. Certification matters! After you’ve obtained some experience in the nursing field, you can then try to secure a position in infection control. The primary duty of infection control nurses is to prevent the spread of infectious agents. By doing so, they can watch how these organisms change and evolve as they move from one setting to another or one host to another. To give you some background, I just recently completed my Masters in Public Health and specialized in Infectious disease epidemiology. ANA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have teamed up with a number of Nursing Specialty Organizations to educate and train nurses on infection control. FAQ. An infection preventionist is a type of nurse who holds an RN degree but who specializes in preventing infections and helping stop people from getting sick. Infection Control Nursing The Path to Becoming an Infection Control Nurse Infection control nurses, or infection prevention nurses, help prevent patient infections by instructing other nurses and healthcare staff on proper sanitation and hand-washing procedures and other steps to … You’ll start your career in infection control nursing by becoming a registered nurse. The Associate of Science in Nursing degree takes about two years or more to complete at a university or college, whereas a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing generally takes four years in a university or college – preparing you for leadersh… Infection control nurses should demonstrate an excellent attention to detail and effective communication skills. An Infection Control Nurse can make a decent living, with an average salary of around $77,000 a year in the United States. Infection control nurses specialize in preventing the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases in hospitals, healthcare settings and ultimately communities. What Education Will I Need to Become An Infection Control Nurse? This specialized nursing home training covers: After completing state requirements to become a registered nurse (RN), you must then complete additional specialized training in infection spread and prevention, including courses in epidemiology. Top 16 Infection control nurse interview questions and answers are discussed in this article along with other materials for Infection control nurse interview tips, Infection control nurse interview questions, Infection control nurse thank you letters etc. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) offers certification for infection control nurses. An infection-control nurse is discussing needlestick injuries with a group of newly hired nurses. They will often need to perform duties such as teaching others how to prevent and contain outbreaks and epidemics as well as work with government agencies to contain these incidents. The infection control nurse informs the group that most needlestick injuries result from: A) recapping a needle B) faulty needles and syringes C) full needle boxes D) needles left in the client's linen The career requires a nursing degree, usually a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), as well as specialized knowledge in infectious disease control and prevention. Additional qualifications include certification from the Certification Board of Control and Epidemiology (CBIC), experience working in a medical or healthcare environment, and specialized knowledge in disease transmission and pathogens. Get better results by entering a location. Certification Board of Infection Control and EpidemiologyInfection Control TodayAmerican Infection Control JournalAmerican Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT)The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC)American Society For Microbiology (ASM)The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 600 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108. If you're interested in becoming an infection control practitioner, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. The name ‘infection preventionist’ is just one of several that may be applied to these professionals, and they are also referred to as a nurse epidemiologist or an infection control nurse. The course was produced by CDC in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This may include informing others about how certain infectious agents spread, along with how to protect themselves and others from contamination. Infection Control Nurse Salary & Employment. The CIC® is intended for those professionals already working or practicing in the field of infection prevention and control. To meet the demands of the rapidly expanding field of infection prevention, and equip professionals for the challenges of the future, APIC has created the infection preventionist (IP) competency model.The model outlines the skills needed to advance the infection prevention field and was created to help direct the IP’s professional development at all career stages. Follow this guide to become an infection control nurse taking in a typical salary. We've determined that 37.1% of infection control practitioners have a bachelor's degree. As an Infection Control Nurse your role is to identify, create, and employ best practices for sanitation and infection management. To determine the origin of a particular pathogen, an infection control nurse might also study the makeup and structure of it. This can also help scientists and doctors prevent strains of medication-resistant contagions and develop treatments for other infectious diseases. In the event of possible widespread contamination, an infection control nurse will often need to take steps to contain the infection. National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT), The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nurse epidemiologists specialize in preventing the spread of viruses, bacteria and other organisms that might cause infection and in educating other healthcare professionals about disease control. Even in a sterile and sanitary environment, a rogue infection can get out of hand very quickly. I am considering becoming an infection control nurse. In some cases, infection control nurses may also be responsible for informing government agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of outbreaks and collaborate with these agencies to bring outbreaks under control. Being an infection prevention and control nurse is challenging enough, but imagine doing this work in a prison setting. Although a bachelor's is typically the most expensive and takes four years instead of two or three years, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that a bachelor's in nursing is more likely to improve your job prospects. Infection control nurses work to help prevent dangerous infectious diseases from spreading. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site. To achieve this challenging yet rewarding career as an Infection Control Nurse, follow the steps below: 1. The nurse … Although all nurses are trained in this area, these nurses specialize in it. The a-IPC Designation intended for the novice IP and those interested in pursuing careers in infection prevention and control who don’t meet the CIC® eligibility requirements. Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance are significant threats to public health. The most common certification sought by IPs is to become Certified in Infection Control (CIC) through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology. It is an infection control nurse’s job to try to make sure that this doesn’t happen. As a sub-specialization for clinical nurse specialists, and one occasionally held by nurse practitioners, fundamental knowledge of infection control techniques and protocol is learned on the job and through graduate level CNS and NP programs specific to a particular patient population focus. To become an infection control nurse, you need to complete an education in nursing, at least an associate or bachelor’s degree (BSN), although a master’s degree is becoming common. In order to do this, these nurses will often need to educate other medical professionals and civilians on infection prevention techniques. An infection prevention and control nurse has been employed to work with all nursing and residential care homes (approx.105) across the South Tees CCG area. This nurse is up to the challenge. The majority of infection control nurses start by becoming registered nurses by earning their bachelor’s of nursing degrees and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The majority of infection control nurses start by becoming registered nurses by earning their bachelor’s of nursing degrees and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).After you’ve obtained some experience in the nursing field, you can then try to secure a position in infection control. In an effort to monitor and prevent the spread of drug-resistant infections, they serve as policy-makers, administrators, educators, consultants, researchers and in other roles. That’s after many years of experience, however, starting out, an Infection Control Nurse will likely make closer to $50,000 a year. All rights reserved. This certification process requires applicants have a post-secondary degree and already be employed in infection control… An infection control nurse works to identify, prevent, control, and monitor the spread of infection in medical care settings. 16 Infection control nurse interview questions and answers pdf . That means that after you receive your ADN or BSN degree, you are then eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. To learn more about Compensation Estimates, please see our You must be licensed and registeredby the New York State Education Department (NYSED) as a registered professional nurse (RN) to practice nursing as an RN or refer to yourself as an “RN”, “registered nurse” or “registered professional nurse” in New York State. *Salary estimates (ZipEstimate) are not verified by employers; actual compensation can vary considerably. The a-IPC is a separate credential from the CIC®. Data on the patient population, the types of infections involved and the causes and treatment of infection is compiled and analyzed to address continuing improvements in the operation and control of preventable diseases. When it comes to the most important skills required to be an infection control nurse, we found that a lot of resumes listed 32.0% of infection control nurses included infection control, while 8.4% of resumes included rn, and 4.4% of resumes included public health. Your privacy is our priority. Your job duties include educating others on infectious agents and infection prevention with methods such as regular handwashing, use of sanitizing spray, and isolation of those with infections. As an infection control nurse, you will have a hand in preventing dangerous outbreaks and epidemics. If an infectious agent spread through a hospital, it could make already weak patients even sicker. This is particularly helpful in cases that may involve infection from a medical setting or careless medical professional. Becoming an Infection Control Nurse. Do you have a point of view to share? Some of these precautions include frequent hand washing, using sanitizing sprays, and keeping severely ill patients away from other patients. As resistant organisms continue to emerge and evolve, and antimicrobial agents become less effective, infection prevention and control remains a vital aspect of maintaining public health, particularly among vulnerable patient groups such as older people and young children. Depending on the type of infection and the area affected, several people could become very ill and possibly die. Infection control nurses can earn between $77,403 and $92,923 annually. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is another possible path to becoming an infection control coordinator and can also qualify students to work as a registered nurse … By clicking the button above, I agree to the ZipRecruiter Terms of Use and acknowledge I have read the Privacy Policy, and agree to receive email job alerts. It could also possibly spread to otherwise healthy individuals in the surrounding community. To become an infection control nurse, you need to complete an education in nursing, at least an associate or bachelor’s degree (BSN), although a master’s degree is becoming common. © EveryNurse, LLC. ADP and the ADP logo are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. Degree you’ll need to practice: As advanced practice nurses, clinical nurse specialists typically h… Training in the medical field may be required, so view our list of accredited online nursing degree programs. The Health Care-Associated Infections Prevention Program of the Florida Department of Health has five separate web-based training modules on Infection Control, specifically created for facility nursing staff members in acute care hospitals, ambulatory care, and nursing homes. The Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training course is designed for individuals responsible for infection prevention and control (IPC) programs in nursing homes. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. Before you can become a specialized infection control nurse, you need to have some basic experience as a nurse. A: To become an infection control nurse, you need to complete an education in nursing, at least an associate or bachelor’s degree (BSN), although a master’s degree is becoming common. If you're an exceptional writer or like-minded company, please drop us a line! After completing state requirements to become a registered nurse (RN), you must then complete additional specialized training in infection spread and prevention, including courses in epidemiology. As an infection control nurse, you will often be able to find employment in a number of medical facilities, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care agencies. You have three choices for your basic education: a diploma from a hospital-based school of nursing, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Even with these precautions in place, it is not impossible for infectious agents to spread and make others ill. Learn more: What Is an Infection Control Nurse and How to Become One, ZipRecruiter, Inc. © All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 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. EveryNurse.org is an advertising-supported site. The median salary for an RN in Infection Control is $84,794 per year. What you’ll do: Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs)who focus on infectious disease control work primarily in major health care facilities and community health organizations. Obtain your Nursing Diploma, whether it is an Associate degree (ASN) or Bachelor’s degree (BSN). Steps to Becoming an Infection Prevention Nurse . To sit for the certification exam, you must be currently employed as an infection control nurse with a couple years of experience in this area. After licensure as an RN or a LPN, or a decision to pursue this specialty, most nurses either apply for a transfer to their facility’s infection control department or formally adopt infection control and prevention intervention responsibilities, in addition to one’s regular job duties. For nurses or anyone in a healthcare related field who want to learn more about Infection Prevention and Control to add to their resume of skills or to gage if this is a career path they would be interested in pursuing. Hello all! An infection-control nurse, also known as a nurse epidemiologist, is likely to be a registered nurse in most states. In a medical setting, infectious agents are by no means uncommon. I greatly desire a career in nursing and wondered how feasible it … As an infection control nurse, you work closely with other health professionals to prevent the spread of infectious disease. Duties and Skills •Monitoring – One of the primary responsibilities of the infection control nurse and staff is monitoring the occurrence of infection in the clinical setting. To do this, they may need to isolate infected individuals so they do not come in contact with healthy individuals. IPC Digital Credential. An entry-level Nurse Infection Control with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $60,166 based on 13 salaries. An infection control nurse is a nurse that specializes in preventing the spread of infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria. If left unchecked, an infection could also spread to a much larger area, such as an entire city or town. This is why all medical professionals take precautions to prevent them from spreading. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 37.1% of infection control practitioners have master's degrees. Other possible employers include government agencies. When you enrol at ACN to study infection prevention, you can be confident that you have chosen a college that is recognised for providing courses with strong clinical focus and evidence-based practice. Infection control nurses may also study changes in certain strains of infectious organisms. 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