Contagious Conversations:Preparing Infection Preventionists for the Work, Not Just the Theory

Entering infection prevention often means learning a new profession while already being responsible for protecting patients. A background in nursing or microbiology provides valuable preparation, but understanding the science does not automatically prepare someone to lead an infection prevention program. For Shante Walton, MS, CIC, FAPIC, AL-CIP, health system director of clinical epidemiology and infection prevention at UCLA Health, that gap has shaped a larger goal: creating an academic pathway that prepares professionals for the work they will actually do.

Speaking on Contagious Conversations with hosts Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC, and Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC, AL-CIP, Walton described how her own transition from molecular microbiology to infection prevention helped inspire an educational initiative at UCLA. The certificate program became the starting point for a broader vision that includes advanced degrees and leadership preparation.

“UCLA is set to create an academic home for infection prevention, and that is going to range from a certificate to a doctoral program. That is our goal. We want infection prevention and control to be an academic discipline,” Walton said.

Turning Experience Into an Educational Pathway

Walton entered infection prevention in 2008 after discovering hospital epidemiology through her laboratory work. Her team performed DNA fingerprinting for the infection prevention department, which introduced her to a profession that connected microbiology directly to patient safety. Although the work appealed to her, the transition brought a steep learning curve. She still remembers feeling overwhelmed during her first 30 days.

Years later, the pandemic gave those memories new urgency. Experienced colleagues called to say they were leaving the profession. Their exhaustion raised a difficult question for Walton: Who would be prepared to take their places? She began considering what she had needed when she first entered the field and how an educational program could provide that foundation before someone assumed responsibility for patients.

The answer involved more than teaching concepts. New infection preventionists needed help understanding how to apply their knowledge within a health care organization. Knowing what surveillance means, for example, is different from understanding how to carry it out while responding to the demands of a new role.

For Walton, the certificate program offered a way to make that transition more deliberate. Students would learn what an infection prevention program looks like and how their responsibilities fit into the organization. Practical application would be central to the experience.

Learning From Different Professional Backgrounds

The certificate program used a cohort model that brought students with different backgrounds into the same learning environment. That structure allowed participants to learn from one another’s experience rather than assuming everyone arrived with the same knowledge. A nursing perspective could help a classmate understand a clinical situation, while someone from another background could offer a different perspective on the problem.

Walton said hundreds of people applied. At the time of the interview, 3 cohorts had completed the program, and approximately 10 participants had secured positions in infection prevention. Those outcomes were encouraging because the program was intended to help people enter a field where employers often seek experienced applicants who have not yet had the opportunity to gain.

Financial access, however, presented a challenge. Identifying funding for certificate students was difficult, Walton explained. That limitation became part of the discussion about how to build a sustainable educational pathway. She described a master’s program as being under development, with a practice-focused doctoral program part of the longer-term vision.

Preparing IPs to Lead

The proposed master’s program would retain foundational instruction while placing greater emphasis on leadership. Walton wants students to understand what it means to take responsibility for an infection prevention program and how to influence decisions within their organizations. The goal is to help professionals prepare for responsibilities that extend beyond identifying a problem to securing support to address it.

Electives would help students strengthen areas relevant to their own practice. Someone who needs additional microbiology instruction may have different educational priorities from a colleague seeking a deeper understanding of instrument reprocessing. Walton also discussed incorporating artificial intelligence into the curriculum as its applications become increasingly relevant to the profession.

The people teaching those courses matter as much as the topics themselves. Walton emphasized the importance of faculty who can connect instruction to firsthand experience.

“The vision is always to have individuals [who] have been practicing in the field and can help infuse the application into the program,” she said.

That approach informed faculty selection for the certificate program. Walton recruited professionals whose strengths she had observed in their work, with the intention of bringing the same practical perspective to future degree offerings.

Education That Reflects the Setting

The international certificate offering also exposed assumptions about the resources available to students. Some participants worked in settings without laboratory access, challenging a curriculum that initially assumed microbiology reports would be available. Their questions demonstrated why preparation must reflect the environment in which an infection preventionist will practice.

Walton described that experience as an opportunity to reconsider how the program could support professionals working with fewer resources. The lesson extends to educational design more broadly: Practical instruction must account for what learners will encounter, including situations that differ substantially from those of their instructors.

Creating Opportunities to Enter the Profession

Walton sees formal education as complementary to professional experience. Hiring managers still need to assess whether an applicant can perform the work, but educational preparation can help demonstrate readiness. Mentorship also remains important, particularly when internships and externships are limited.

“Finding and connecting with people [who] are in the field will help you. It will go a long way versus waiting for HR to screen you in for an interview,” Walton said.

For experienced infection preventionists, that creates an opportunity to help someone else enter the profession. Sharing how the work is done can make an unfamiliar career more accessible. Walton’s broader vision brings that same intention into academic preparation: Give future IPs a clearer starting point, then provide opportunities to grow as their responsibilities expand.