The pandemic introduced the infection preventionist and the field to a degree . There are now some healthcare sectors that are now reaching out because they realize the value proposition that we represent in keeping environments healthy and keeping people free of infection . Other sectors have seen our value as well , so the job market Is going to be increasingly diverse going forward .” no longer ; people now know who we are , what we do , what we can offer , and they ’ re excited by that , so there ’ s real hope for the future . There ’ s power in numbers , and the more that we can all sing from the same songbook , I think the more benefit there will be , and the more impact we can all have .
“ We want to see something that is more clearly defined and communicates that being an infection preventionist is a dynamic career option ,” Dickey adds . “ There is also additional work around defining a job code with the Department of Labor so that they know we exist . We will continue to see that whether people enter our profession through laboratory , public health or nursing sciences , there is an academic or clinical pathway that is built on the core competencies of what an infection preventionist is and what that individual needs to know to be successful . We need to look at the skill sets , as not all of them are epidemiology and statistics ; what really makes people successful are the soft skills of collaboration and persuasion , being articulate and other skills that can help them build partnerships and teams . That ’ s because we ’ re successful through lateral behavior change and influence rather than anything that ’ s hierarchal .”
Because IPs spend so much of their day observing , coaching , and training others , it can be easy to lose themselves in the process . Dickey says that IPs must try to avoid burnout by reminding themselves it ’ s acceptable to acknowledge the need to take care of themselves along with their colleagues and patients .
“ It ’ s critical for IPs to realize the importance of self-care ,” she adds . “ You must remember to put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others . We must take care of ourselves , figuring out how to take a breather , finding what rejuvenates us .”
“ The future is very bright , but we still have our work cut out for us to describe who we are and how to get there ,” Dickey continues . “ The pandemic introduced the infection preventionist and the field to a degree . There are now some non-healthcare sectors that are reaching out because they realize the value proposition that we represent in keeping environments healthy and keeping people free of infection . Other sectors have seen our value as well , so the job market Is going to be increasingly diverse going forward .”
In 50-plus years of practice , infection preventionists have witnessed numerous outbreaks , but none may have focused the limelight on infection prevention and public health as the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and eventual pandemic did . More than ever before in the history of the field and the profession , the attention focused on eradication and control of infections and emerging and existing infectious public health threats must be leveraged for the benefit of the field and its practitioners .
Pettis says many have heard their true calling by entering the profession , and that vocation has been confirmed by the pandemic . “ I have a very close friend from high school who has always been fascinated by what I do , because she ’ s a germaphobe . When the pandemic struck , she said , this is what you were born for , this is what you have been preparing for your entire career . I think that is true for all of us in infection prevention . I feel badly for the people who got into the field right before or during the pandemic because they didn ’ t have time to prepare it , but the rest of us had sort of been preparing for this . We have all thought it ’ s not a matter of if , but it ’ s a matter of when . However , when the pandemic came , it was still had at the very beginning to guess how it would unfold . We know for sure this won ’ t be the last ; hopefully there won ’ t be another pandemic like this one for another 100 years , but that ’ s probably unrealistic .”
Steed acknowledges the great turnover among healthcare professionals , and how it can impact preparedness for the next outbreak or pandemic .
“ Part of that exodus may be due to distress associated with COVID because it was such a significant event ,” she says . “ I was APIC president that first year of the pandemic and I didn ’ t sleep much because I was incident commander in one of our markets . It was clear the entire healthcare community was undergoing a great deal of stress . Our resilience was severely tested , so we developed a wellness program designed to effectively support healthcare providers on the COVID frontline . APIC also established a wellness series for infection preventionists to help them deal with the stresses of the pandemic . Everyone was so busy , many of us working seven days a week . It became apparent that we had to help people take care of themselves as they were taking care of others .”
Steed continues , “ I ’ ll never forget that year , ever . It had a tremendous impact on the world and on infection prevention . The question we ’ ve got now is , what is Infection prevention and control going to look like post-COVID . The CDC has appointed me to an isolation taskforce that will examine transmission-based precautions and see if they need to be simplified , and possibly modify them because there was much confusion about droplet versus aerosol and airborne transmission . I think the CDC is doing the right thing by reviewing those precautions and looking at how can we better describe the mode of transmission for respiratory infections that are transmitted through droplets and make it easier for everybody to understand . I ’ m privileged to be involved in that work because I think it ’ s going to be very important and so I ’ m excited about what ’ s ahead . That ’ s an example of how we deal with infectious diseases that require enhanced precautions ; my hope is that we can articulate the issue in a clearer way . The way we practice basic infection prevention and control demands that we have the right PPE and we perform hand hygiene the right way , but we need to re-examine how this is articulated to people in the simplest way so that it is not confusing , especially during an event