Travel Infection Control Nurse Jobs

As of Thursday, May 23rd 2024, Vivian has 89 Staff Nursing jobs listed. These jobs pay $51 per hour on average, with the highest-paying job listed up to $74 per hour.

Take a look at Vivian's Travel Infection Control Nurse Career Guide for more information, including required education, responsibilities, pros and cons and more.

An infection control nurse is a registered nurse who specializes in enforcing sanitation and infection-control protocols in healthcare settings and the community, implementing best practices for halting the spread of disease, and monitoring the care of patients who’ve contracted infectious diseases. Also known as infection prevention nurses, ICNs are indispensable members of today’s healthcare teams as they strive to ensure healthcare centers remain safe and sanitary. Nurses who enjoy introducing new ideas and solving puzzles find a career in infection control consistently stimulating and highly rewarding.

There isn’t a standard job description that covers all the responsibilities of infection control nurses and their roles can vary depending on where they work. However, the primary responsibility of an ICN is infection prevention and management. ICNs help identify, isolate, and prevent the spread of infectious agents in healthcare environments that could impact the safety of patients and healthcare professionals. Some common duties of ICNs in various positions include:

Infection control nurses can work in a wide array of healthcare settings, including hospitals, community care centers, home health services, and hospice programs. In long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and skilled nursing centers, ICNs primarily function as infection prevention nurses. ICNs can also work in ambulatory and outpatient care centers, often functioning as both hands-on nurses and general infection control consultants. They may also be employed by emergency preparedness organizations and public health departments. ICNs also might work with scientists to study and identify the pathogens causing infectious diseases and look for new ways to treat or eliminate them.

Good infection control nurses are meticulous and extremely detail-oriented, which makes them highly efficient at analyzing all types of infection data and producing evidence-based decisions. Their expert knowledge of the risks of various infectious agents helps them effectively deal with contained infections and broader outbreaks. Good ICNs continually remain at the forefront of modern healthcare solutions and are often exceptional problem solvers and innovators. The ability to work well under pressure and superior communication and leadership skills are must-have attributes of successful infection control nurses and profoundly influence how healthcare professionals and the public address potential infectious threats.

The first step towards a career as an infection control nurse is becoming a registered nurse, which requires graduating from nursing school and passing the NCLEX-RN exam to earn licensure. While an Associate Degree in Nursing is the standard minimum requirement for RNs, many employers prefer prospective ICNs to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. RNs also need Basic Life Support certification and it’s recommended to pursue professional certification, as it’s often preferred by potential employers. After at least two years of experience as a registered nurse, RNs can sit for the Certification in Infection Prevention and Control awarded by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology. Prospective employers also like to see previous infection control experience with two years typically the minimum, but some prefer as much as six years.

Infection control nurses may hold Basic Life Support (BLS) or Certified in Infection Control (CIC), among others.