2017 Infection Prevention and Control State of the Industry

June 1, 2017

For the purposes of this report, ICT conducted an online survey in which several hundred infection preventionists shared their insights on key issues such as workload, present and future challenges, as well as program needs and areas for improvement. When we asked respondents how they felt about the future of their profession overall, 56 percent said they were excited and optimistic about what can be accomplished, 28 percent said they were feeling neutral and withholding judgment for now, and 16 percent said they felt cautious and/or pessimistic in the face of continued change within the profession and healthcare in general. Eighty-five percent of surveyed IPs say they are confident in their compe-tency as an infection preventionist, while 5 percent were not and 10 percent were unsure. And in terms of enjoying their work, 91 percent of IPs said they were happy in their jobs, while 4 percent said they did not relish their tasks and 6 percent were ambivalent.

Report Summary

This state-of-the-industry report explores the many factors that influence an infection preventionist's work performance, job satisfaction and thoughts for the future. It presents the findings of a survey of ICT readers who share their experiences relating to key issues that are shaping the profession, and synthesizes new and recent guidance for the management of infection prevention and control programs.

Editor's Take

ICT's survey of IPs found that novices, veterans and everyone in between currently comprise the IP workforce. Sixteen percent of respond-ents indicated they had worked in infection prevention for more than 20 years or more, while 10 percent had 15 to 20 years of experience, 20 percent had 10 to 15 years under their belts, and 64 percent had one to 10 years of experience. In that time, most IPs have seen the advent of healthcare reform and the ever-shifting political landscape that has helped craft the field.

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