Another area that we ’ ve not put the resources toward is taking care of our elderly . We know this , and yet until the pandemic placed attention on these deficits , it was very challenging to draw attention to these chronic needs .
Now , we ’ ve got the world ’ s attention , and we ’ ve got to deliver .”
— Ann Marie Pettis , RN , BSN ,
CIC , FAPIC
workloads of those left behind and tasked with carrying on .
“ We need to keep encouraging one another because it is a field that does require a lot of ‘ Stick-toit-iveness ,’ and I don ’ t think that we can underestimate the value of helping one another , encouraging one another ,” Dickey says . “ It ’ s important that we remind IPs of what they ’ ve accomplished , because so much of the time they are head down and haven ’ t been able to see how far they ’ ve come . Sometimes it can feel like a slow slog , so we need to constantly remind people of their value and that they make a difference .”
Dickey continues , “ We also need to see more recognition of the profession . There ’ s going to be a significant push on APIC ’ s part to put forward an Academic Pathway . Our is a profession that many people have stumbled into in the past , coming from many different avenues of training and a variety of degree programs .”
APIC has announced it is creating an infection prevention and control curriculum for colleges and universities . APIC ’ s IP Academic Pathway marks the first national effort to link undergraduate and graduate programs to the field of infection prevention and control , which is hoped to lead to certification in infection prevention and control .
“ The pandemic has brought to light the tremendous need for trained infection preventionists in our nation ’ s healthcare facilities ,” says Devin Jopp , EdD , MS , CEO of APIC . “ While APIC has a robust competency model and other resources to support professionals already practicing in the field , a clear pathway into infection prevention and control careers does not currently exist for college and university students . Through IP Academic Pathway , APIC plans to create an intentional track for infection prevention certification and degree programs . This will help not only the healthcare field , but also industries like entertainment , hospitality , and travel , which are increasingly hiring infection preventionists .”
An APIC task force will develop the IP Academic Pathway core concepts , which will detail competencies needed to work successfully in infection prevention and control as outlined by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology ( CBIC ). Once developed , the curriculum can be integrated into a higher education institution ’ s course of study through their undergraduate , graduate , and continuing education programs .
“ We must also focus on professional development of the next generation of the infection prevention and control workforce ,” says Steed . “ APIC is doing a tremendous amount of work around promoting an academic pathway to the field . Wouldn ’ t it be something if we could have a bachelor ’ s in science in infection prevention and control and epidemiology ? We already have master ’ s programs out there , but for undergraduates , what could that degree look like ? How can we do that ? And then the other question is , do they need to be nurses ? This is brainstorming , but can we think about having an infection control assistant ? That might help expand the workforce and we would not have to worry about the cost of a nurse or certified infection preventionist . I think that that ’ s important work to explore for the future . What does the future look like ? That ’ s a critical thing that APIC is examining . The future requires that IPs be creative , thinking through how they can support their programs so that they ’ re not doing it alone .”
Resourcing and has been a perennial problem along with grooming and growing new talent , and with the pandemic bringing some hospitals to the brink of financial failure , IP & C programs have mirrored that of public health fiscal challenges .
“ Despite the pandemic , nobody wants to fund public health , and this has been true historically as well ,” Pettis says . “ Another area that we ’ ve not put the resources toward is taking care of our elderly . We know this , and yet until the pandemic placed attention on these deficits , it was very challenging to draw attention to these chronic needs . Now , we ’ ve got the world ’ s attention , and we ’ ve got to deliver . Obviously , we don ’ t have enough IPs . We do have a new vision and mission post-pandemic and our vision is an audacious one . But it ’ s one that the pandemic moved us into and that ’ s creating a safer world through infection prevention . But to achieve this , we need much more influence , more impact and we need to continue to contribute . We need more boots on the ground and so that ties into APIC ’ s IP academic pathway that we have been working on so diligently over the last year and a half . I would say we ’ ve made some progress , but it ’ s a huge task to ensure that people don ’ t just stumble into infection prevention like I did and like most of my colleagues did . We didn ’ t go to nursing schools saying we wanted to become infection preventionists , but rather we stumbled across it , and so we must change that . It is unfortunate that the pandemic hastened those who were ready to retire , and perhaps it also put off people who may have wanted to join the profession . And maybe it has befuddled everybody who ’ s in the middle , and so holding onto those people is critical . I ’ ll give you an example at our institution of what gives me hope that there is such a bright future for infection prevention . One of our veteran IPs , Linda Green , retired , deciding that after the pandemic , it was time . We hired this brand-new graduate with a master ’ s degree in public health . She thought that because of the pandemic , she wanted to be an infection preventionist , so she shadowed us in infection prevention for a while , and she is so excited that we must pinch ourselves that we found someone who , instead of being scared off by the pandemic , was actually drawn to it . In general , nursing is taking an unbelievable hit from early retirees , and that has also impacted our profession . The good news is that we were sort of hidden under a rock , if you will , but