Disclaimer: This post is for academic purposes only. Please read the original document if you intend to use them for clinical purposes.
The guide is a comprehensive resource designed to assist individuals interested in or currently working in the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) profession, as well as organizations and leaders of IPC programs, in planning, advancing, and assessing competency development within the field. It defines career stages, paths, and ladders and provides tools and resources for professional growth.
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Main Themes:
- Structured Career Progression: The guide establishes a clear framework for understanding and navigating career development within the IPC field through the definition of career stages, career paths, and career ladders.
- Competency-Based Development: The core of the guide is the APIC IP Competency Model, which outlines six specific domains that IPs need to develop knowledge and skills in to advance their careers and meet essential IPC needs.
- Defined Career Stages: The guide delineates distinct career stages for Infection Preventionists, each with specific recommendations for background, certification, knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and level of leadership. These stages represent developmental phases based on acquired knowledge and skills, not solely on years of practice.
- Tools and Resources for Growth: The document highlights various tools and resources available to support IPs and organizations in competency assessment, professional development planning, and career advancement.
Important Ideas:
- Diverse Backgrounds of IPs: Professionals in IPC come from a variety of backgrounds, including nursing, laboratory, medicine, and public health.
- Specialized training and ongoing development: IPs require specialized training and continuous competency development, guided by the IP Competency Model of APIC, which incorporates (Certification Board of Infection Control & Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC®) competencies and APIC Professional and Practice Standards.
- Target Audience: The guide is intended for individuals interested in the IPC profession, current IPs looking to advance, organizations developing IPC programs and roles, and leaders of IPC programs.
- Definitions:
- Career Stages: the developmental phases through which an IP progresses as they gain knowledge and skills in competency domain content. These are not defined by years of practice.
- Career Paths: a series of positions, roles, and experiences the IP accumulates as they progress throughout their IP career. IPs can move vertically, laterally, or cross-functionally.
- Career Ladders: represent a formal series of steps and advancement through the IP career stages within an organization.
- IP Competency Domains: The APIC IP Competency Model includes six specific domains which are crucial for competency building and career advancement.
- Identified Career Stages: The guide outlines the following IP career stages:
- 1) Infection Preventionist Para-professional
- 2) Novice & Becoming Proficient Infection Preventionist
- 3) Proficient Infection Preventionist
- 4) Expert Infection Preventionist
- 5) Infection Preventionist Leader
- 6) Executive Infection Preventionist
- Distinction and merging of Novice and Becoming Proficient: The APIC IP Competency Model delineates Novice and Becoming Proficient as separate stages, but for the purpose of this guide, they are merged. The Novice stage relies on rules, while the Becoming Proficient stage involves more independent skillsets.
- Certification as a milestone: Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC®) is highlighted as demonstrating mastery of fundamental knowledge and skills required for competent performance and movement into the Proficient career stage. Long-term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP) is also mentioned for specific stages.
- Expert IP definition: The Expert IP reliably demonstrates professional expertise in IPC (infection prevention and control) and applies basic and advanced skills and concepts while role modeling, mentoring, and teaching.
- IP Leader and Executive IP Roles: These stages represent formal leadership positions responsible for managing teams, departments, or the organization’s IPC program at a strategic level.
- Available Tools and Resources: The guide provides access to:
- Job Description Templates for each career stage, which can be customized.
- Career Stage Competency Assessments, designed to guide assessment and advancement, and can be used for self-assessment, onboarding, performance reviews, and career ladder advancement.
- Orientation and Training resources like the Novice Roadmap and Isolated IP Toolkit
- Self-Assessments, specifically the Competency Self-Assessment Activity for Novice or Becoming Proficient IP and the APIC Proficient Practitioner Bridge for the Proficient and Expert IP.
- Professional Development Plan and Professional Development Portfolio templates for tracking growth and accomplishments.
Conclusion:
The excerpts from the APIC Infection Preventionist Career Development and Advancement Guide provide a valuable framework for understanding the structure and progression within the IPC profession. By defining career stages and outlining the required competencies and available resources, the guide empowers both individuals and organizations to effectively plan for professional growth and ensure the development of highly skilled Infection Preventionists crucial for advancing the science and practice of IPC. The emphasis on competency-based advancement and the provision of practical tools like job description templates and competency assessments make this a significant resource for the field.
Citation: “Infection Preventionist Career Development and Advancement Guide” APIC – Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. 2024
