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Infection Prevention Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Ambition 24Hours Inc

Infection Prevention Nurse

Derry, NH · On-site

$5.4K - $6.3K/mo

Infection Prevention Nurse (IP) ───── Profession: Infection Prevention Nurse Specialty: Infection Prevention (IP) Employment Type: Travel Contract Shift: 08:00 - 16:30 (Day Shift) Schedule:

Bayhealth

Infection Prevention Specialist

Dover, DE · On-site

The Infection Prevention Specialist is a Registered Nurse, Medical Technologist, or Microbiologist who assists in monitoring, evaluating, planning, implementing and documenting the hospital Infection ...

City of Hope

Director, Infection Prevention

Duarte, CA

$136K - $228K/yr

The Director of Infection Prevention provides strategic and operational leadership for the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) program across the organization. This leader ensures regulatory ...

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Infection Prevention information

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How much do infection prevention jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 28, 2026, the average hourly pay for infection prevention in the United States is $42.35, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $38.94 and $44.47 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does an Infection Prevention professional typically collaborate with other healthcare staff to ensure effective infection control?

Infection Prevention professionals work closely with a wide range of healthcare staff, including nurses, physicians, environmental services, and laboratory personnel. They provide training on infection control protocols, conduct audits to ensure compliance, and act as a resource for staff questions or concerns. Regular meetings and interdisciplinary rounds are common, allowing Infection Preventionists to assess risks, review incidents, and implement improvements collaboratively. This teamwork is essential for maintaining a safe environment for both patients and staff.

What is infection prevention?

Infection prevention refers to the practices and procedures designed to prevent the spread of infections, particularly in healthcare settings. Professionals in this field develop, implement, and monitor policies that minimize the risk of healthcare-associated infections among patients, staff, and visitors. This involves education, surveillance, outbreak investigation, and ensuring compliance with established guidelines. Effective infection prevention helps keep healthcare environments safe and reduces the risk of disease transmission.

Is an infection preventionist a good career?

An infection preventionist is a healthcare professional responsible for developing and implementing infection control protocols in healthcare settings. The role requires knowledge of microbiology, healthcare regulations, and often certification such as CIC, with job prospects generally stable due to ongoing demand for infection control expertise. It can be a rewarding career for those interested in public health and patient safety.

What 5 healthcare careers would be most concerned with infection control?

Infection prevention professionals often work closely with careers such as registered nurses, medical laboratory technologists, hospital epidemiologists, environmental services staff, and healthcare administrators. These roles are essential in implementing infection control protocols, maintaining sterile environments, and ensuring compliance with safety standards. Certification in infection control or public health is often required for specialized roles in this field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Infection Prevention Specialist, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Infection Prevention Specialist, you need a solid background in microbiology, epidemiology, and healthcare practices, often supported by a degree in a health-related field and certification such as CIC (Certified in Infection Control). Familiarity with infection surveillance software, data analysis tools, and regulatory requirements (like CDC and OSHA guidelines) is essential. Exceptional communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills help you educate staff and implement effective prevention strategies. These skills are crucial for minimizing healthcare-associated infections and maintaining a safe environment for patients and staff.

What is the difference between Infection Prevention vs Infection Control Nurse?

AspectInfection PreventionInfection Control Nurse
CertificationsCPH, CIC, or similarCPH, CIC, or similar
Work EnvironmentPublic health, healthcare planning, policy developmentHospitals, clinics, healthcare facilities
Primary FocusPreventing infections before they occurManaging and investigating existing infections

Infection Prevention professionals focus on strategies to prevent infections through education, policy, and community programs, while Infection Control Nurses work directly within healthcare settings to monitor, investigate, and control ongoing infections. Both roles require similar certifications and often collaborate, but their primary responsibilities differ in scope and environment.

How do you become an infection preventionist?

To become an infection preventionist, you typically need a bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related field such as nursing, microbiology, or public health. Certification as a Certified in Infection Control (CIC) is often required or preferred, and gaining experience in infection control or healthcare settings is important for career advancement.

What is the career path for infection control?

The career path for infection prevention professionals typically starts with roles such as infection control nurse or specialist, often requiring a nursing or healthcare background and certifications like CIC (Certification in Infection Control). Advancement can lead to supervisory, managerial, or director positions, with additional experience, education, and leadership skills opening further opportunities in healthcare administration or public health. Continuous education and staying current with infection control guidelines are essential for career growth.
More about Infection Prevention jobs
What cities are hiring for Infection Prevention jobs? Cities with the most Infection Prevention job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Infection Prevention jobs? The most popular types of Infection Prevention jobs are:
What states have the most Infection Prevention jobs? States with the most job openings for Infection Prevention jobs include:
Infection Prevention jobs near you
Infographic showing various Infection Prevention job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% As Needed, 72% Full Time, 20% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,084 per year, or $42.3 per hour.

Director Infection Prevention

720004 - HSQ-HS Infection Prevention

Dallas, TX • On-site

Other

Medical, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report , we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!
JOB SUMMARY
The Director, Health System Infection Prevention provides recommendations, to enterprise leadership, for the design, execution, and sustained advancement of infection prevention and control across UT Southwestern Health System. This role reports to the Associate Vice President of Quality & Operational Excellence and is accountable for translating the Performance Excellence System and High Reliability principles into consistent, measurable, and reliable infection prevention practices across all sites of care. Serving as the system's subject matter expert in infection prevention, the Director leads a coordinated, system-wide approach to reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), mitigating transmission risk, and strengthening a culture of safety and accountability. This role ensures that strategy is operationalized through aligned systems, standard work, and disciplined execution, advancing UT Southwestern's mission, academic distinction, and commitment to exceptional patient care.
BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:
  • PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
  • 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
  • Paid Time Off, available day one
  • Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
  • Paid Parental Leave Benefit
  • Wellness programs
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
  • Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Required
  • Education
    Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, Public Health, Microbiology, or related field required
  • Experience
    10 years of progressive experience in infection prevention, epidemiology, or quality improvement with a Bachelor's degree or
    7 years of progressive experience with a Master's degree
    5 years leading infection prevention or quality professionals
    Demonstrated success leading enterprise or system-level initiatives in complex, matrixed healthcare environments
Preferred
  • Education
    Master's Degree in Nursing, Public Health, Microbiology, or related field required
  • Licenses and Certifications
    MT (ASCP) or M (ASCP)
    (CIC) Cert in Infection Control within 2 Years or
    (A-IPC) Associate Infection Prevention and Control within 2 Years
JOB DUTIES
  • Enterprise Infection Prevention Strategy & System Alignment
    • Recommend the development and execution of a comprehensive, system-wide infection prevention strategy aligned with the Performance Excellence System, High Reliability principles, and organizational priorities.
    • Establish and standardize enterprise policies, frameworks, and expectations for infection prevention across inpatient, ambulatory, and procedural settings.
    • Integrate infection prevention into the broader Performance Excellence System, ensuring alignment with quality, patient safety, workforce, and operational priorities.
    • Translate strategic priorities into clear execution pathways, enabling consistency across a complex, matrixed academic health system.
    • Partner with Quality & Operational Excellence leaders, entity leadership, and Infection Prevention teams to ensure alignment and disciplined execution of infection prevention priorities, driving consistency, reducing variation, and advancing system-wide performance.
  • Execution of the Performance Excellence System
    • Drive consistent application of the Performance Excellence System within infection prevention across all sites of care.
    • Assess system and entity performance to identify variation, emerging risks, and improvement opportunities related to HAIs and transmission prevention.
    • Recommend enterprise and entity-level initiatives that translate surveillance and learning into standard work, measurable outcomes, and sustained results.
    • Enable the spread and adoption of effective infection prevention practices and innovations across the health system.
  • System-Wide Performance Improvement & Monitoring
    • Establish and oversee a comprehensive, system-wide infection prevention performance monitoring structure aligned with the Balanced Scorecard.
    • Monitor and trend key infection metrics (e.g., CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI, C. difficile, respiratory infections), identifying variation and opportunities for targeted intervention.
    • Ensure performance data drives action, accountability, and sustained improvement at the entity and service line level.
    • Lead ongoing evaluation of interventions to ensure reliability and durability of outcomes.
  • Regulatory & Accreditation Oversight
    • Ensure system-wide compliance with applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements, including:
      • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance
      • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation
      • The Joint Commission standards
      • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements
    • Maintain continuous system survey readiness, ensuring alignment of policies, practices, and documentation.
    • Oversee responses to regulatory citations, infection-related findings, and corrective action plans, ensuring timely and sustainable resolution.
  • Infection Prevention Operations, Surveillance & Standardization
    • Oversee the design and execution of comprehensive infection prevention programs to reduce healthcare-associated infections.
    • Establish standardized surveillance methodologies, definitions, and reporting processes, maintaining oversight as NHSN system administrator.
    • Ensure data accuracy, validation, and timely reporting of infection metrics.
    • Standardize and hardwire evidence-based practices (e.g., hand hygiene, isolation, device utilization, environmental cleaning) into daily management systems.
    • Align infection prevention plans with broader organizational performance improvement priorities.
  • Outbreak, Exposure & Emergency Preparedness Leadership
    • Recommend system-wide outbreak and exposure management, including consultation on high-risk or complex cases.
    • Serve as co-leader, with the Medical Director of Infection Prevention, of the Health System Infection Prevention & Epidemiology (HIEP) response, driving coordinated response efforts.
    • Recommend enterprise preparedness for emerging infectious diseases, pandemics, and surge scenarios.
    • Coordinate with public health authorities to ensure timely communication, reporting, and response alignment.
    • Ensure lessons learned are translated into standard work and system-level improvements.
  • IP Policy, Product Risk & Value Analysis Oversight
    • Oversee development, standardization, and governance of infection prevention policies, procedures, and documentation.
    • Conduct infection risk assessments for new products, equipment, and vendor proposals.
    • Review Instructions for Use (IFUs) and evaluate infection risk associated with new technologies.
    • Partner with vendors and internal stakeholders to assess infection risks and mitigation strategies.
    • Participate in system Value Analysis and product standardization committees, ensuring alignment with evidence-based and regulatory requirements.
    • Monitor infection trends following product implementation to ensure safety and effectiveness.
  • Culture of Safety, Accountability & Organizational Influence
    • Promote a culture where infection prevention is a shared responsibility across all levels of leadership and frontline staff.
    • Integrate infection prevention into the broader quality, patient safety, and operational excellence infrastructure.
    • Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert for infection risk, influencing system strategy and decision-making.
    • Reinforce that reliability in infection prevention is achieved through consistent systems, leadership behaviors, and disciplined execution.
  • Measurement, Governance & Executive Engagement
    • Define and steward enterprise infection prevention metrics, targets, and performance thresholds, aligned with the system Balanced Scorecard.
    • Provide executive leadership, governance committees, and boards with integrated insights on infection performance, trends, and risks.
    • Translate complex surveillance data into clear, actionable insights that drive decision-making and accountability.
  • Team Leadership & Workforce Development
    • Lead, mentor, and develop Infection Prevention Managers and Infection Preventionists (IPs) across the system.
    • Establish competency standards, role clarity, and performance expectations.
    • Support professional development, including certification (CIC) and ongoing education.
    • Ensure appropriate staffing models and resource allocation across sites of care.
    • Build system capability to ensure teams can execute infection prevention practices reliably and consistently.
SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT
Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.
EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.

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