[BSNDec06]

I am exploring the option of becoming an infection control nurse when I graduate from nursing school. I am already an MT(ASCP), so I am reasonably certain that I have adequate academic preparation. However, all the job listings for infection control practitioners want someone who is CIC certified, and in order to be eligible to sit for the certification exam you need experience. So, you see my problem.

Do you think that anyone would hire me straight out of school without certification and be willing to give me the experience I need for my exam?
Any thoughts would be appreciated- thanks in advance for your help.

[oneLoneNurse]

I have not idea what the CIC is. I am thinking of this field as well. But the cert that the job would like is some other designation for hospital risk managerment.

[sjrn85]

Without the clinical experience to take the exam, unless you can find a job where certification is not required you're probably going to need to put in the time.

The responsiblities of an MT and an infection control nurse are very different. Your MT education will certainly help you, but you really need to get some actual experience as a nurse under your belt. If being a CIC is your goal, getting a year or two of experience shouldn't discourage you.

[xera678]

I'm looking into this as well. From reading the job description and criteria of public health nursing jobs (e.g., county jobs), you are qualified if you have your RN especially a BSN. I'd look at job description for the PH nursing jobs. Some are called nurse epidemiologists. Somewhere I read that someone was working in ICU and started doing infection control nursing then got her CIC. I'm looking for people who have BTDT, too.

[blkdawn]

My facility was desperate for an IC person and with my background in epidemiology, they asked me to step in. As part of the job, I have to obtain my CIC (certification in infection control) within two years.

I wouldn't discount getting a job because of the certification. Better to put your application in and they call you and tell you to get it later than to not try at all. I don't know about your city, but in ours, each hospital is DESPERATE for infection control people. Desperation makes for waiving of so-called requirements.

Hope this helps.
Dawn

[ecugirl]

I've been an Infection Control Practitioner for almost 13 years. When I started this job, I came from being an ANM on an orthopedic surgical floor for 6 years with no experience (other than direct patient care and management) in IC. Most posititions require an RN with a BSN and that you obtain your CIC after 2 years...which, like you said, you have to have at least 2 years of experience in IC before you can sit for the CIC exam. And the exam is expensive so I would definitely try to be in my position as an ICP so that my employer would pay for it. Most ICP positions like someone with some type of management or supervisory experience also...this job requires you to work very closely with Administration, physicians, staff in changing behaviors, teaching, supporting JCAHO, CMS, OSHA, CDC, etc. recommendations and regulations...and trust me, they don't all say the same thing. It's a very exciting and challenging time to be in IC...with the looming of a pandemic flu, bioterrorism, new emerging resistant organisms, new emerging diseases.

[DaveMac]

I know this is late, but may help someone else.
I am working toward getting my CIC (Certified Infection Control). UNC Chapel Hill has a two week course which is very good. It is done in two one week classes. Infection Control Part I and Infection Control Part II. Part I is done in the spring and Part II is done in the fall. They also have a one day course for the RNs who have two years experience to take to help prepare you to take the certification board, which cost a few hundred dollars to take, so you want every help you can get.
I was lucky, I was helping the case manager here and when she left, I was asked to take her job. Well Infection Control was one of her jobs. My turn over was about 5 minutes, here is a list of what I monitor, good luck.
Well it turned out that she was not doing even 10% of what was suppose to be done. I ended up rewriting every IC policy and learning from the ground up. Thankfully I had some exp with Navy OSHA and 14 years as a nurse to pull on.
As far as going straight into IC straight out of school. You could do it, but I would not recommend it. You need to know what the different lab results mean, how to know what an imaging reports says, C&S reports, what needs to be reported to public health and how fast, what requires isolation and what type of isolation.
If you can attend Chapel Hill, this will give you so much information it will make your head spin. The more I do IC the more I like it.
What you need is to find a job that needs an assistant to help with IC and you can get some exp and then move on up. Good luck and don't give up.

[Opera26]

I just joined this web site and saw your post. So, what happened? Are you the IC nurse now?

Originally Posted by BSNDec06

I am exploring the option of becoming an infection control nurse when I graduate from nursing school. I am already an MT(ASCP), so I am reasonably certain that I have adequate academic preparation. However, all the job listings for infection control practitioners want someone who is CIC certified, and in order to be eligible to sit for the certification exam you need experience. So, you see my problem.

Do you think that anyone would hire me straight out of school without certification and be willing to give me the experience I need for my exam?
Any thoughts would be appreciated- thanks in advance for your help.

[BSNDec06]

So after about 16 months of nursing practice as an inpatient staff nurse, I was able to find a position in infection control. I have been there a little over a month now and I am learning a lot I feel that this was a good move for me both personally and professionally.

[DaveMac]

Originally Posted by BSNDec06

So after about 16 months of nursing practice as an inpatient staff nurse, I was able to find a position in infection control. I have been there a little over a month now and I am learning a lot I feel that this was a good move for me both personally and professionally.

Congrats. I also have learned a lot this last year.