Infection prevention workforce: Potential benefits to educational diversity

Area of Science:

• Infection Prevention and Control
• Healthcare Epidemiology
• Public Health Practice

Background:

• Historically, nurses have dominated the infection preventionist (IP) role.
• The expanding knowledge and skill requirements have led to increased participation from public health and laboratory science professionals.
• This study characterizes current IPs and examines the link between their background, certification, experience, and job functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the demographic and professional characteristics of current infection preventionists (IPs).
• To assess the relationships between an IP's educational background, professional certification, years of experience, and their specific work-related activities.
• To understand the evolving landscape of the IP profession.

Main Methods:

• Data were extracted from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) MegaSurvey.
• Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the characteristics of the surveyed IPs.
• Chi-squared or Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests were used to calculate associations, with IP characteristics stratified by work activities.

Main Results:

• A total of 4,079 out of 13,050 APIC members responded (31% response rate).
• Nurses primarily focused on preventing infectious agent transmission (97.9%).
• Laboratory scientists focused on surveillance data interpretation (97.5%), while public health professionals concentrated on management and communication (96.1%).

Conclusions:

• Infection control departments can benefit from recruiting IPs with varied educational and training backgrounds.
• Embracing diverse expertise can address the growing complexity of IP roles and responsibilities.
• Hiring a diverse IP workforce may foster novel and innovative processes, ultimately improving patient care outcomes.