IPC Career

August 05, 2026

After experiencing severe professional burnout, an infection preventionist found renewed purpose by mentoring others, seeking mentorship herself, and rebuilding connection, confidence, and commitment to her career.

August 03, 2026

New US Ebola travel restrictions require many travelers leaving the DRC to spend 21 days outside the country before returning home, creating logistical, financial, and operational challenges for health care responders.

July 22, 2026

How much infection prevention training should volunteers receive before participating in medical missions? A new perspective in Infection Control Today follows one college student's experience volunteering in rural Cambodia, where he was asked to perform clinical tasks well beyond his training. Years later, he realized just how many infection prevention risks he had unknowingly encountered. The article explores what his experience reveals about volunteer preparation, resource-limited care, and why basic infection prevention education should be considered essential for anyone participating in clinical outreach. Read the full story.

July 21, 2026

International infection prevention leaders discuss how Ireland and Saudi Arabia educate, recruit, and prepare IPC professionals while advocating for broader, multidisciplinary career pathways worldwide.

July 20, 2026

What if sterile isn't enough? Sterile processing has traditionally focused on ensuring instruments are cleaned, assembled, and sterilized correctly. But today's health care environment requires something more. This article explores why coordination between sterile processing, the operating room, supply chain, and clinical teams has become just as important as technical excellence. Learn why experts believe surgical readiness should become the next benchmark for sterile processing performance.

July 16, 2026

Could a badge, cell phone, or home-laundered scrub top contribute to infection transmission? AORN's updated 2025 Guideline for Surgical Attire reinforces that surgical attire is much more than a uniform. From laundering practices and beard covers to cleaning personal devices, the recommendations position attire as a key component of infection prevention and patient safety across the perioperative environment.

July 09, 2026

Why do outbreaks involving Cyclospora, Ebola, Legionnaires' disease, contaminated medical devices, and recalled consumer products matter to infection preventionists? This editorial examines the common lessons from today's emerging infectious threats and explains how surveillance, environmental safety, health care worker protection, and preparedness strengthen infection prevention and control programs across all health care settings.

July 08, 2026

Many infection preventionists from nonclinical backgrounds experience imposter syndrome despite demonstrating strong technical expertise and measurable patient safety outcomes. This commentary explores how mentorship, leadership development, and organizational support can strengthen professional identity, improve retention, and help the infection prevention profession embrace diverse educational pathways.

June 24, 2026

Can structured retention meetings help reduce turnover among infection preventionists? At APIC 2026, Morgan Anderson of Overlake Medical Center Clinics shared how one-hour conversations focused on employee frustrations, strengths, and career goals improved engagement, generated actionable improvements, and helped strengthen workforce retention. Learn why professional development and proactive leadership discussions may be key to keeping talented IPs in the field.

June 24, 2026

Routine multidisciplinary rounding may be one of the most effective tools for preventing adherence drift in sterile processing. By engaging infection prevention, environmental services, facilities, safety, and SPD leadership, health care organizations can identify risks early, improve accountability, and strengthen patient safety. Read how a structured EOC rounding program can help keep departments survey-ready and adherent.