Infectious Disease and Infection Control Nurse Specialist 

Overview
This focal area offers two curricular tracks within the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems and the Master of Nursing program. Common threads across both curricular tracks include preparation in basic health and nursing sciences pertinent to infectious diseases and infection control policy and nursing practice. Students in both curricular tracks take courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, epidemiology, and microbiology. Within health care facilities, opportunistic and drug-resistant infections, and complex wound infections jeopardize patient recovery, delay patient transfer, increase the cost of care, and consume nursing resources. Students select a curricular track to prepare as an Infectious Disease Clinical Nurse (ID-CNS) to focus on individual care or policy, or as an Infection Control Advanced Practice Nurse (IC-APN) to focus on systems of care.

Infectious Disease Clinical Nurse Specialist (ID-CNS)

This curricular track, requiring a minimum of 21 months of study, prepares the ID-CNS with a focused education needed to provide leadership in expert care and policy development for people with infectious disease or complex infections. Infectious disease specialty areas include, but are not limited to, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV-AIDS, and tuberculosis. Infectious diseases have emerged as a global threat to health, requiring clinical experts who are prepared to impact care and policy development to reduce these leading causes of premature death around the world. An ID-CNS may develop expertise in a particular infectious disease, such as HIV-AIDS, to coordinate care of individuals hospitalized with opportunistic infections, counsel patients about adherence to medications, or to facilitate home care needs. Or an ID-CNS may develop expertise in threats to health from a broader microbiologic perspective, such as the care of patients with opportunistic, communicable, or complex wound infections. The ID-CNS is prepared to provide focused expertise in consultant, educator, administrative, research, or direct practice roles within acute, critical, chronic long term, and outpatient settings.

Infection Control Advanced Practice Nurse (IC-APN)

This curricular track, requiring a minimum of 18 months of study, prepares the IC-APN to provide leadership within institutions to establish infection control/infectious disease surveillance programs; to manage, monitor, and prevent infections; to develop policy and protocols, and; to educate staff and patients. The threat of bacterial and viral infections, environmental allergens, workplace safety, and multidrug resistance pose major threats to patients and staff in clinical agencies. Using administrative, systematic inquiry, and leadership skills, the IC-APN develops system strategies to maintain asepsis, minimize agency-acquired infections, implement barrier precautions, and promote adherence to regulations and guidelines in agencies. The IC-APN is prepared to serve as an advanced practice nurse in consultant, educator, administrative, or research roles within acute, critical, chronic long term, and outpatient settings.

NEW!!

3/31/2006 Presentation: Motivational Behavioral Change in Healthcare Professionals
Elaine L. Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN, CIC
Professor, Columbia University School of Nursing

Dr. Larson describes her studies of antibiotic use and misuse within Hispanic communities. She includes cultural beliefs, access to health care and non-prescription antibiotics as unique determinants of antibiotic use. Her findings are crucial to the development of interventions with judicious use of antibiotics.

View the video stream (See Help/Viewing Requirements)

View the Powerpoint slides (requires Adobe reader)

Infection Control Advanced Practice Nurse (IC-APN) via Technology-Enhanced Distance Learning. Click here for more information.

Infectious Disease and Infection Control Certificate Program. Nurses who have a master’s degree or who are currently matriculated UW graduate students can develop a certificate program of study in infectious disease or infection control. Click here for more information.

Additional Infectious Disease and Infection Control Nurse Information