Credentialling and the future of infection prevention and control

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating a direct correlation between patient outcomes and the implementation of infection prevention and control programs led and staffed by infection control professionals who hold professional certification or credentialling and have a combination of comprehensive experience and formal training. 
Put simply, patient outcomes are better in health services where infection control programs are led by infection control professionals who hold specialist certification or credentialling.
Credentialling is a self-regulatory process instituted by a professional body to determine and acknowledge that an individual has demonstrated the prescribed competence of the relevant specialist role in infection prevention in control.
Credentialling has been with the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) and our predecessor associations now for decades. As Australian infection control professionals, we were early adopters of credentialling as a professional group and the current process has served us well for many years by identifying and recognising experts in our field.
But times change, and along with it do the demands of everyday practice. Fundamental to our College’s work is to establish and articulate professional pathways and standards for practice for the changing environment of infection control. ACIPC recognises this evidence and has moved it into practice. Our existing single-tier credentialling framework for expert infection control professionals has been revised in light of the growing evidence and expanded to all infection control professionals across three new tiers.
In July this year, ACIPC launched our new Credentialling Framework that combines the requirements for experience, formal education and training together with peer review. The ACIPC Credentialling Framework comprises of three levels:
The Primary Credentialled Infection Control Professional (CICP-P) demonstrates the knowledge, attributes and behaviours in infection control at a basic level. They have participatory responsibility for infection control in their setting. They defer to the expertise of an Advanced or Expert ICP and/ or fulfil some infection control responsibility in accordance with specific legislation and standards of practice. This may include hand hygiene auditing, acting as a link nurse, or a person who is involved in reprocessing reusable equipment. It is expected that they will routinely practice in accordance with relevant guidelines and the best available evidence, and actively seek the advice of Advanced and Expert CICPs in applying core principles to new, unfamiliar or challenging circumstances.
The Advanced Credentialled Infection Control Professional (CICP-A) demonstrates the knowledge, attributes and behaviours in infection control at an advanced level. They have leadership responsibility for one or more elements of an infection control program in their setting. They would defer to an Expert ICP for guidance and oversight in co-ordinating an entire program. It is expected that they will act as role models to Primary ICPs and practise in accordance with relevant guidelines and the best available evidence, and actively seek the advice of Expert CICPs in applying core principles to new, unfamiliar or challenging circumstances.
The Expert Credentialled Infection Control Professional (CICP-E) demonstrates the knowledge, attributes and behaviours at an expert level. They plan, implement, review and evaluate comprehensive infection control programs. They take a leadership role in terms of research and knowledge generation and contribute to the evolution of the discipline of infection control. They act as role model and mentor to Primary and Advanced ICPs and in accordance with relevant guidelines and the best available evidence, and work collaboratively with other Expert CICPs in applying core principles to challenging circumstances and generating new evidence for practice.
Importantly, the new ACIPC Credentialling Framework has something for everybody. A key underpinning philosophy of the new framework is to provide a formalised career pathway for infection control professionals that is open to everyone working in infection control.
This includes a vast array of professional groups, including nursing, midwifery, medicine, surgery, pharmacy, health and medical sciences, veterinary sciences, environmental health, paramedicine etc,.
ACIPC is of the view that for infection control to be everyone’s business it needs to be accessible and relevant to, and be formally recognised within, multiple professions. The ACIPC Credentialling Framework comprises professional practice pathways and frameworks that support and recognise the vital role we all play. Whether you are new to the profession or have been practising for some time, there is something for you in the new ACIPC Credentialling Framework.
For more information, please visit the College website at: www.acipc.org.au/Credentialling

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Ramon Shaban
Professor Ramon Shaban is Clinical Chair of Infection Prevention and Control at Griffith University and the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Australia. He is President of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC), Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal, Senior Editor of Infection, Disease and Health, and Temporary Advisor to the World Health Organization on Antimicrobial Resistance. R