advice for becoming an infectious control nurse

I too am interested in finding out more, so I will bump this to the top.

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You generally need to be practising in the field to get certification by the professional assocations (APIC etc). If you had qualifications etc in public health/epidemiology etc it would be greatly advantageous, but it's not required. People tend to stay in these jobs for ever, so it's quite difficult to get into. APIC | Home

I know there are Master speciality areas focused on infectious dieases. There are infectious diease clinical nurse specialist and infectious diease nurse pracititioner programs, which means you have to get a master's in nursing.

Or you can work as a nurse in public health dept. in your local county. I know my area has public health nurses focused on infectious dieases such as STDs in a community health clinic.

Hi, everybody. This is my first time in this site, so I'm foreing nurse I waiting for my current license as RN. I want to find something like scholarship to begin my practice, because I haven't had job experience in this country, and when I check some jobs I saw that I need it.

Do you mean you are interested in Infection Control Nurse/aka Nurse Epidemiologist? Do you want to work in a hospital or in Public Health?

If that's the case, get that BSN, and try to take extra classes in Epidemiology.

You might try shadowing an Infection Control Nurse as well as a Public Health Nurse.

Definitely check out the APIC site.

LOL what do you want to control and what do you want to be infected with??

Swtooth

Hi, All! I'm responding to this question because I have just taken a new position as an ADON at a LTC and Rehab facility. Infection control will be a big chunk of my responsibilities. I am very interested to learn of on-line educational sites and resources for tools to assist in tracking. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I am a preop nurse in an amb.surg center, peds and adults. Have recently been christened Infect.Cont.Prof!! Have joined APIC and am member of AORN. I have the "opportunity" to rewrite our Infect.Control Plan-New 2007 JCAHco guidelines, I am lost of a sea of paper and swimming against the current. You can access the APIC web site for their info which is vast and contact local ICP's at the hosp. in your area.
Does anyone have new plans that have been updated?
I really don't know where to start and I've been doing research for a month, in my spare time when I'm not doing my primary position.
Love a challenge(won't repeat what my husband calls this)
Thx