Infection Control Nurse: Job Description & How to Become One

Outbreaks of infectious diseases are rising globally, and infection control nurses are constantly facing new challenges, such as bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the spread of highly contagious viruses like COVID-19.^{1, 2}

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the global need for motivated nursing and medical professionals who specialize in developing and implementing infection prevention and control techniques. The role of infection control nurse is critical in protecting public health—and the need for new practitioners in this specialty is more evident than ever.¹ Let’s review the core responsibilities of an infection control nurse and the educational requirements you need to step into this role.

What is Infection Control?

Infection control is the practical discipline of preventing infections acquired in healthcare settings. Akin to a public health practice, infection control is an essential process of every healthcare organization. The responsibilities of an infection control nurse include addressing factors related to the spread of infections among patients, among staff and between patients and staff. This includes preventive measures such as hand washing, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing and vaccinating. Other aspects include monitoring and managing outbreaks of infection and investigating their causes.^2,3

What Is an Infection Control Nurse (ICN)?^4,5

An infection prevention nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who implements best practices for halting the spread of viruses and bacteria and delivers top care to patients who have contracted infectious diseases. In this level of nursing, it is critical to have strong attention to detail, the ability to work well under pressure and excellent communication skills.

What Does an Infection Control Nurse Do?

Infection control nurse daily activities include responsibilities with patients and physicians and also with scientists, public health experts and government agencies to protect the health of individuals and the public. Each year, more than half a million people get healthcare-associated infections in the United States.⁶ Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), Staphylococcus aureus (staph), Klebsiella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are common pathogens causing hospital-acquired infections.⁷ Some infection control nurse responsibilities include:

• Gathering and analyzing infection data to make evidence-based decisions
• Educating medical and public health professionals on infection prevention protocols to facilitate emergency preparedness
• Isolating and treating infected individuals to contain the spread of infectious diseases
• Assisting with the development of action plans in case of a community or hospital outbreak to minimize the potentially devastating impact
• Collaborating with government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that infection control practices are implemented and enforced
• Studying pathogens to determine their origin and prevent future outbreaks
• Assisting scientists and physicians with developing treatments and vaccines to ensure the health and safety of patients and the community

Where Do Infection Control Nurses Work?³

Infection control nurses work in a variety of healthcare settings, including:

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes and residential care facilities
• Home healthcare agencies or ambulatory surgery centers
• Public health departments
• Schools and educational institutions

Infection Control Nursing Education Requirements

To practice as an infection prevention nurse, you will, at minimum, need to become a registered nurse (RN) by graduating passing the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.⁸

To pursue a career in infection control nursing and apply to most Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, you need to have an RN license. USAHS offers two points of entry to earn an MSN,  RN to MSN and BSN to MSN programs, or a DNP, BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP programs.

Learn More About Our Nursing Programs

How to Obtain an Infection Control Nurse Certification

Take the next step in pursuing a career as an infection control nurse and sit for the Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC®), which is awarded by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC®).^{9, 10}

Obtaining this certification demonstrates your competency in infection control nursing in accordance with the professional standards developed by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).¹¹

Thanks to the increased awareness of risks and the additional preventive measures being taken in hospitals, the medical community has made significant progress in reducing the incidence of various types of hospital-acquired infections.¹² The COVID-19 outbreak clearly demonstrated the need for personal protective equipment and planning in the fight against pandemics of dangerous pathogens.

Learn more about USAHS advanced nursing programs and request information.

• Additional resources for exploring the field of infection control nursing include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and American Journal of Infection Control.^12,13,14

Want to know more about our nursing programs?

Program InformationRequest Information

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates designed for working nurses. Our degrees are offered online, with optional on-campus immersions.* Role specialties include Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)** and Nurse Executive. The MSN and DNP have options to accelerate your time to degree completion.*** Earn your advanced nursing degree while keeping your work and life in balance.

*The FNP and PMHNP role specialties include one required hands-on clinical intensive as part of the curriculum. The PMHNP role specialty requires one virtual clinical intensive.

**The PMHNP role specialty is not available for the DNP program.

***Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress, traditional vs. accelerated pathway, credits transferred and other factors.

Sources

1. TriMedika Team, “Infection Control Nurses – Why Are They Vital to Healthcare?, TriMedika, November 21, 2024,  https://trimedika.com/infection-control-nurses-why-are-they-vital-to-healthcare.
2. Baylor College of Medicine, “Emerging Infectious Diseases,” Department of Molecular Virology and Micobiology, 2023, https://www.bcm.edu/departments/molecular-virology-and-microbiology/emerging-infections-and-biodefense/emerging-infectious-diseases.
3. “Infection Control Nurse Career Guide,” Johnson & Johnson Nursing Specialty Finder, https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty/infection-control-nurse.
4. Registered Nursing, “Infection Control Nurse,” Registered Nursing, January 29, 2025, https://www.registerednursing.org/specialty/infection-control-nurse/.
5. GraduateNursingEDU.org, “Infection Control Nurse (ICN),” GraduateNursingEDU.org, 2025, https://www.graduatenursingedu.org/infection-control/.
6. “Health Care-Associated Infections,” Healthy People 2030, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,  https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/health-care-associated-infections.
7. “Multidrug-Resistant Organism & Clostridioides difficile Infection (MDRO/CDI) Module,” National Healthcare Safety Network, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), January 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/12pscmdro_cdadcurrent.pdf.
8. National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “NCSBN,” NCSBN, 2025, https://ncsbn.org/.
9. Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., “CBIC,” CBIC, https://www.cbic.org/.
10. Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, “Guidelines for CIC® Initial Certification,” CBIC, https://www.cbic.org/CBIC/Candidate-Handbook/Eligibility-Guidelines.htm.
11. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, “Certification: The Defining Difference,” n.d., https://apic.org/education-and-events/certification/.
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” CDC, n.d., https://cdc.gov/.
13. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, “Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology,” APIC, n.d., https://apic.org.
14. American Journal of Infection Control, “American Journal of Infection Control,” AJC, 2025, https://www.ajicjournal.org/.