Challenges and opportunities in recruiting, hiring and training infection preventionists across facility settings

Abstract

Background: Recruitment of skilled professionals for the infection preventionist (IP) role is an ongoing priority for organizations. The objective of this study was to understand differences in recruitment, hiring and training by facility setting and discuss targeted strategies for diverse organizations.

Methods: A survey study investigated recruitment, hiring and training practices for IPs and stratified by facility location (multi-location health system (MLHS), urban, suburban and rural), specifically pertaining to job description requirements, background of candidates interviewed and hired and training programs.

Results: A Master's in Public Health degree was significantly more frequently listed on MLHS and urban facility job descriptions (37.3%, 43.7%, respectively) than suburban (27.4%) and rural facility job descriptions (17.2%)(P < .01). Respondents from MLHS (41.3%), urban facilities (47.0%), suburban facilities (41.7%) were more likely to interview public health professionals than rural facilities (20.3%, P = .003). Respondents from MLHS, (73.3%), urban (68.4%), and suburban (62.2%) facilities were significantly more likely to use local Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology chapter for training compared to rural facilities (32.4%)(P < .001).

Conclusions: Our results identified differences in facility setting with recruitment, hiring and training practices. Optimizing recruitment and training best practices will result in a large and well trained IP workforce and patient safety.

Keywords: Infection prevention hiring; Infection prevention recruitment; Infection prevention training.