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 [↩]
