| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Nursing |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Hospital Quality Manager or Medical Superintendent |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 7 years in nursing, with infection control exposure |
Infection Control Nurse job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Infection Control Nurse
Department: Nursing
Reports to: Hospital Quality Manager or Medical Superintendent
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Infection Control Nurse leads the prevention of hospital acquired infections. They run surveillance of infections, audit hand hygiene and isolation practice, monitor sterilisation and waste handling, and train staff on infection prevention. The role is central to patient safety and NABH, working with the infection control committee and microbiology. In an Indian hospital the infection control nurse tracks infection rates, investigates outbreaks, enforces isolation for infectious patients, and drives the practices that keep infections down across wards, ICUs and operation theatres.
Key responsibilities
- Run surveillance of hospital acquired infections and track infection rates by area.
- Audit hand hygiene, isolation and aseptic practice across wards, ICUs and theatres.
- Monitor sterilisation, disinfection and biomedical waste handling for compliance.
- Investigate infection clusters and outbreaks and drive prompt containment.
- Train and remind staff on infection prevention and hand hygiene.
- Enforce isolation precautions for infectious patients and guide the ward teams.
- Support the infection control committee with data and recommendations.
- Coordinate with microbiology on culture reports and antibiotic use trends.
- Keep infection control documentation ready for NABH and audits.
- Advise on infection risk during construction, renovation and new services.
Requirements
- B.Sc Nursing, with infection control training
- Registration with the state nursing council
- A certification in infection control is an advantage
- 3 to 7 years in nursing, with infection control exposure
KRAs and KPIs for a Infection Control Nurse
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Infection rates | Hospital acquired infection rates within agreed limits each quarter |
| Hand hygiene | Hand hygiene audit compliance at or above the target |
| Surveillance | Infection surveillance completed for target areas every month |
| Outbreak response | Infection clusters investigated and contained within the agreed time |
| Training | Target share of staff trained on infection prevention each year |
| Audit readiness | Infection control records clear NABH audits with no major finding |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Infection surveillance formats, Hand hygiene audit tools, Hospital Information System (HIS), MS Excel and dashboards, Microbiology reports.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Infection Control Officer, Nursing Quality Coordinator, Hospital Quality Manager
Interview questions for a Infection Control Nurse
- How do you run surveillance for hospital acquired infections?
- Hand hygiene compliance is low in a ward. How do you improve it?
- You suspect an infection outbreak in the ICU. What are your steps?
- How do you enforce isolation for an infectious patient?
- How do you work with microbiology on antibiotic use trends?
- What infection control evidence do you keep ready for NABH?
Managing a Infection Control Nurse in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your nursing team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does an infection control nurse do?
An infection control nurse leads the prevention of hospital acquired infections. They run infection surveillance, audit hand hygiene and isolation practice, monitor sterilisation and waste handling, and train staff on prevention. They investigate outbreaks, enforce isolation, support the infection control committee, and keep infection rates down across wards, ICUs and operation theatres.
What qualifications does an infection control nurse need?
A B.Sc Nursing with infection control training and registration with the state nursing council is the usual base. A certification in infection control is an advantage. Employers value clinical nursing experience, an eye for detail in audits and surveillance, and the ability to train and influence staff across the hospital.
Why is infection control important in a hospital?
Infection control protects patients and staff from hospital acquired infections, which can lengthen stays, raise costs and endanger lives. Good infection control through hand hygiene, sterilisation, isolation and surveillance keeps these infections low. It is a core patient safety function and a key part of NABH accreditation, which is why hospitals employ dedicated infection control nurses.