under the microscope
By Rodney E . Rohde , PhD , MS , SM ( ASCP ) CM SVCM , MBCM , FACSc
The Infection Prevention and Environmental Services Professions
For those who know my career journey , you probably realize that I often advocate for several critical professions that often go unnoticed . For example , I write , speak and interview often to discuss the medical laboratory and how # WeSaveLivesEveryday in the shadows of healthcare . For this month ’ s article , I want to briefly discuss two other professions that many people do now know about , including many healthcare professionals .
In my 30-year career journey , I have worked in public health , medical laboratory and academia . I discovered very early in these paths that many individuals in the public as well as other professional environments did not understand or made aware of hidden professions that have profoundly important roles in saving lives . These two professions – infection prevention and environmental services – have ongoing powerful roles in preventing infections in healthcare and community settings .
The first profession I would like to discuss is the role of an infection preventionist ( IP ). I am starting with this career because I have several alumni from our Texas State University Clinical ( medical ) Laboratory Science Program who have gone on to amazing IP careers after their medical laboratory journey . In fact , these two careers have synergistic and complimentary coursework and healthcare environment education / training .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), one in 25 hospitalized patients will get an infection because of the care they receive , and an estimated 75,000 patients will die each year . Because healthcare-associated infections ( HAIs ) are a threat to patient safety , many hospitals and healthcare facilities have made the prevention and reduction of these infections a top priority . The IP is on the frontlines of preventing HAIs as well as community infections in some career slants .
What does an IP actually do ? How do you become an IP ? According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology ( APIC ), IPs are the professionals who ensure that healthcare workers ( physicians , nurses and others ) and patients are doing everything they should to prevent infections . Most IPs are nurses , epidemiologists , public health professionals , medical laboratorians , microbiologists , doctors , or other health professionals who work to prevent germs from spreading within healthcare facilities . They look for patterns of infection within the facility ; observe practices ; educate healthcare teams ; advise hospital leaders and other professionals ; compile infection data ; develop policies and procedures ; and coordinate with local and national public health agencies .
Usually , when one decides to work in the field of infection prevention , they probably were working in one of the healthcare fields mentioned ( nurse , medical laboratory , etc .) and find that they have a passion and talent for this area . This is how several of my alumni ended up working in the IP world . APIC discusses the ever-changing requirements of the profession demand
that IPs constantly update their knowledge base and expand their skill set . The updated APIC Competency Model ( May 2019 ) has four career stages , defined as follows : novice , becoming proficient , proficient , and expert . As one progress through these stages , typically when the proficient state is reached an individual will want to obtain the CIC ® credential .
IPs are in the trenches of curbing and prevention life-threatening antimicrobial resistant HAIs and other dangerous pathogens . Truly , a wonderful career for those interested in this area .
The second career path that I love to discuss to raise awareness for is the environmental services professional ( EVS ). In a 2014 article , I wrote for Elsevier Connect titled “ A secret weapon for preventing HAIs ,” I mention that when I teach a microbiology class for future nurses or medical laboratory professionals , I often start a complex discussion of microbial control . As an aside , I happened to tell my students of what I believe to be an overlooked “ secret weapon ” in reducing and preventing HAIs in hospitals : the housekeepers – or more accurately , the environmental services staff .
After all , as I often tell my medical / clinical laboratory science students , “ clean does not necessarily mean microbially clean .” In other words , just because a healthcare or community setting looks and smells clean does not always mean that it is free from dangerous pathogens ! These bugs do not read the textbooks when it comes to following any rules about infection prevention and control . We must all ensure that the EVS profession and its professionals are known and respected entities in controlling the chain of infection . Unfortunately , the environmental services staff rarely appear on the radar of hospital administrators except when there is a need for budget cuts . It is our job and professional duty to make sure EVS professionals remain on the radar of everyone involved in reducing HAIs and other pathogen transmission . I like to tell those who are not aware of EVS staff , # SurfacesMatter all the time to everyone . Learn
more about this lifesaving profession with the CDC and other professional organizations .
Rodney E . Rohde , PhD , MS , SM ( ASCP ) CM SVCM , MBCM , FACSc , serves as chair and professor of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State ; associate director for the Translational Health Research Initiative ; as well as associate dean for research in the College of Health Professions . Follow him on Twitter @ RodneyRohde / @ TXST _ CLS , or on his website : http :// rodneyerohde . wp . txstate . edu /