At a Glance
Where you'll work: hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, government agencies, long-term care facilities, home health organizations, and hospices.
Minimum degree: ADN or higher. Some positions require an APRN, which means an MSN or DNP.
Median annual salary for RNs: $93,600. Reported pay for infection control nurses typically ranges from about $50,000 to $95,000, depending on the organization, your role, education, and experience.
Good fit for: nurses who are comfortable with data analysis and enjoy spotting trends.
What the Job Requires
Infection control is not an entry-level role. Nursing school gives you the foundation in infection prevention, but it does not make you eligible for an infection preventionist position. You need to be an RN first, and some employers require an APRN. From there you build prevention experience inside whatever entry-level role you land.
To get closer to the field, target your job search toward departments that touch infection work, such as a surgical floor, a diagnostic lab, or a unit that partners with pathology. Find out who runs infection prevention at your facility, whether that is one person or a committee, and ask to shadow them. Shadowing can count toward the experience you need for certification.
Education at a glance: a minimum of a two-year associate degree (ADN or ASN), two years or more to complete, an RN license at minimum, and often a Certification in Infection Control (CIC).
Licenses and Certifications
Most positions want certification on top of an RN license. The two main credentials, both from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC), are the Associate Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC) and the Certification in Infection Control (CIC). Neither is legally required to practice, but the CIC is the gold standard most employers look for. The a-IPC is a stepping stone for nurses not yet eligible for the CIC.
Associate Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC): no education or work experience required. The exam runs 100 questions over two hours on a computer. Per CBIC, the credential is valid for five years and can now be renewed by passing the proctored exam again or by earning 40 Infection Prevention Units (IPUs) of continuing education. It works well as a stepping stone toward the CIC.
Certification in Infection Control (CIC): requires a post-secondary degree in a health-related field from an accredited institution plus experience in infection prevention and control, including surveillance, identifying infectious disease, preventing spread, sterilization, and education. CBIC writes the exam for professionals with at least one to two years of full-time practice. The exam has 150 questions on a computer. Renew every five years by passing the exam again or completing 40 IPUs of approved infection-prevention education.
What Infection Control Nurses Do
The exact duties depend on your title, experience, and setting, but the work usually combines:
- Surveillance: tracking the incidence of infectious disease, from hospital-acquired pneumonia on one unit to influenza across a state.
- Analysis: turning that data into insight leadership can act on.
- Intervention: when a worrying trend appears, identifying how to stop it and measuring progress, such as retraining staff after a rise in catheter-associated infections.
- Developing protocols: translating research and best practice into procedures, like how to enter a patient room safely.
- Training and education: teaching staff, whole organizations, and sometimes patients, for example how to care for a wound after discharge.
- Patient care: some infection control nurses treat patients directly.
- Public health: tracking community health, coordinating with agencies, and running campaigns to slow the spread of infection.
Whatever the mix, the role is built for problem-solvers. Stopping an influenza outbreak, persuading leadership to fund training, or designing a harm-reduction campaign all take critical thinking and creativity.
Related Infectious Disease Roles
- Nurse epidemiologist: works in a public health department tracking patterns of infectious disease such as influenza.
- Infection control staff educator: researches best practices and teaches staff how to follow procedures correctly.
- Communicable disease nurse: runs outreach, treatment, and data programs for populations affected by or at risk of communicable diseases such as HIV, other STIs, and tuberculosis.
Infection Control Nurse vs. Epidemiologist
The difference comes down to scope and setting. Epidemiologists work for local, state, or federal agencies and look at infectious disease from a bird's-eye view, tracking trends across populations rather than inside a single organization. They typically hold a master's degree, often in public health, and do not deliver direct patient care. Many infection control nurses do. If you want the public health route without a master's, look for the title "nurse epidemiologist."
Career Outlook
Infection prevention has only grown more critical since the COVID-19 pandemic, and hospital-acquired infections remain a serious, common challenge. State and national regulations require most healthcare facilities to employ infection preventionists, which keeps demand steady. Registered nurse employment, which includes infection preventionists, is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 189,100 openings each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an infection control nurse do? An infection control nurse, also called an infection preventionist, tracks the spread of infectious disease inside a facility, analyzes that data, builds prevention protocols, and trains staff to follow them. The goal is to keep patients and staff safe and to catch outbreaks early.
What degree do you need to become an infection control nurse? At minimum an associate degree (ADN or ASN) and an RN license. Many employers prefer a BSN, and some infection preventionist roles, especially those involving an APRN scope, require an MSN or DNP.
What certification do infection control nurses need? The two main credentials come from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC): the entry-level a-IPC and the Certification in Infection Control (CIC). Neither is legally required to practice, but the CIC is the credential most employers look for.
How long is the a-IPC certification valid? Per CBIC, the a-IPC is valid for five years and can now be renewed by retaking the proctored exam or by earning 40 Infection Prevention Units of continuing education. It is designed as a stepping stone toward the CIC.
How much do infection control nurses make? The median wage for registered nurses overall was $93,600 in May 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Reported pay for infection control nurses typically ranges from about $50,000 to $95,000, depending on the organization, role, education, and experience.
What is the difference between an infection control nurse and an epidemiologist? An epidemiologist works for a public health agency and studies disease trends across whole populations, usually with a master's degree and no direct patient care. Infection control nurses work inside a single organization, often deliver patient care, and can enter the field without a master's.
Professional Resources
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC): continuing education, conferences, and certification prep.
- Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC): the certifying agency for infection control credentials.
- American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC): peer-reviewed research and evidence-based practice.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): current recommendations and guidance.
- Setting-specific organizations: the professional body for your work area, such as the operating room or pediatrics, for best practices.