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How to hire an infection control nurse

Infection control nurse hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring infection control nurses in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire an infection control nurse is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per infection control nurse on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 4,534 infection control nurses in the US and 279,739 job openings.
  • Nashville, TN, has the highest demand for infection control nurses, with 6 job openings.
  • Houston, TX has the highest concentration of infection control nurses.

How to hire an infection control nurse, step by step

To hire an infection control nurse, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire an infection control nurse:

Here's a step-by-step infection control nurse hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an infection control nurse job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new infection control nurse
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an infection control nurse do?

Infection Control Nurses are the first responders to an outbreak of an infection. They must quickly contain an infection and ensure that it is not spread to other individuals. They also helps in spreading information about disease prevention and protecting public health. After the initial containment of the disease, it is the nurse's job to take care of the patient and work under a doctor to help the patient recover and become healthy again.

Learn more about the specifics of what an infection control nurse does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your infection control nurse job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an infection control nurse for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An infection control nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, infection control nurses from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of infection control nurse salaries for various roles:

    Type of Infection Control NurseDescriptionHourly rate
    Infection Control NurseRegistered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.$24-52
    Nurse CoordinatorA nurse coordinator is primarily in charge of overseeing all nurses and their activities in a hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include managing and rotating schedules, assessing nurse performance, organizing nursing programs, and developing strategies to optimize procedures... Show more$29-49
    Student/Clinical RotationClinical rotation is the stage wherein medical students spend their last two years of study as medical team members. During this period, medical students learn to apply their knowledge from the classroom to real-life medical situations... Show more$16-105
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Infection Prevention
    • Infection Control
    • Public Health
    • Infection Control Practices
    • Infection Control Policies
    • OSHA
    • Infection Control Committee
    • Educational Programs
    • CMS
    • TB
    • CPR
    • Infectious Disease
    • Rehabilitation
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage cases of patients recently hospitalize, afflict with chronic debilitating conditions and other long-term care needs.
    • Provide all in-service instruction to all employees and new staff members base on OSHA and state regulations.
    • Maintain regulatory compliance with national and regulatory bodies such as JCAHO, CDC, OSHA, and FDA.
    • Track CPR renewals for medical staff.
    • Update and maintain TB and vaccination records for all employees and residents.
    • Perform annual TB skin test for employees and MDOC inmates in prison.
    More infection control nurse duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your infection control nurse job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An infection control nurse salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, infection control nurses' average salary in iowa is 51% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level infection control nurses earn 55% less than senior-level infection control nurses.
    • Certifications. An infection control nurse with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an infection control nurse's salary.

    Average infection control nurse salary

    $75,171yearly

    $36.14 hourly rate

    Entry-level infection control nurse salary
    $50,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average infection control nurse salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$121,959$59
    2Alaska$102,670$49
    3Michigan$98,202$47
    4Washington$98,126$47
    5Oregon$95,662$46
    6New York$92,380$44
    7Ohio$90,246$43
    8Massachusetts$89,137$43
    9Georgia$85,323$41
    10Connecticut$82,217$40
    11Illinois$81,117$39
    12Tennessee$76,566$37
    13Arizona$76,279$37
    14Texas$74,219$36
    15New Mexico$73,666$35
    16Colorado$73,504$35
    17Nebraska$66,177$32
    18Florida$64,541$31
    19Indiana$62,895$30
    20Oklahoma$60,856$29

    Average infection control nurse salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Connecticut Children's Medical Center$155,219$74.6220
    2Wilmington Health$122,009$58.663
    3Mayo Clinic$118,412$56.93170
    4Kaiser Permanente$112,575$54.12453
    5CommuniCare$110,878$53.31134
    6University Health$108,698$52.26114
    7Mission Regional Medical Center$102,309$49.19237
    8Orlando Health$101,832$48.9693
    9Union Health$98,777$47.49
    10SEARHC$96,593$46.441
    11Acadia Healthcare$95,949$46.13175
    12Ardent Health Services$94,528$45.4576
    13Crossroads Center Rescue Mission$93,590$45.00
    14Billings Clinic$93,404$44.914
    15The University of Kansas Health System$92,448$44.4538
    16Wellpath$91,205$43.85460
    17PeaceHealth$90,122$43.3361
    18Dean Health Plan$90,090$43.31
    19Sharp HealthCare$88,821$42.7025
    20Sea Crest Healthcare Management LLC$87,347$41.99
  4. Writing an infection control nurse job description

    An infection control nurse job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an infection control nurse job description:

    Infection control nurse job description example

    Revised February 24, 2022 by NRB

    - Assemble agendas, graphs, and materials presented and distributed to the Infection

    Control Committee, quality improvement teams, and others as requested.

    - Acquire and maintain current knowledge of infection prevention professional society

    guidelines, best practices, and regulatory requirements as demonstrated by attending

    infection prevention conferences and workshops, maintaining active membership in the

    Association for Practitioners of Infection Control (APIC), reviewing current infection

    prevention literature, guidelines, and national standard and networking with external

    Infection Prevention Specialists.

    - Understand and utilize universal precautions.

    - Serve as a role model for ancillary staff.

    - Actively participate in seminars, conferences, in-services, committees, policy revision,

    and other duties as requested.

    - Other duties as assigned.

    Education and Experience

    - Graduation from an accredited school of nursing required.

    - Current, unencumbered RN license required.

    - Previous experience in Infection Control preferred.

    - Current BLS required within six (6) months of transfer or hire.

    - Knowledgeable of current nursing trends and evidence-based practices.

    Skills and Expectations

    - Kind and professional demeanor.

    - Professional and well-groomed appearance, including during on call hours.

    - Communicate positively and effectively, both written and verbally, with patients, family,

    and staff.

    - Demonstrate effective organizational skills in an evolving environment.

    - Work with honesty, compassion and integrity at all times.

    - Adherence to ALL PMC confidentiality procedures and policies.

    - Demonstrate a commitment to building and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and

    equitable working environment.

    Physical Requirements

    The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an

    employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable

    accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential

    functions. While performing this job, the employee:

    - Must be able to remain in a stationary positon 50% of the time.

    Revised February 24, 2022 by NRB

    - Must be able to move and traverse about the facility 50% of the time.

    - Frequently transport objects weighing up to 50lbs

    - Occasionally position objects weighing up to 100lbs.

    - Must be able to communicate and exchange information in a way others will

    understand.

    - Must be able to recognize details such as color and depth within a few feet of the

    observer.

    - Frequently operates computers, machinery, and other healthcare equipment.

    - Constantly positions self to complete essential functions.

    - May be required to wear N95s or PAPRs throughout the shift.

    Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of

    activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties,

    responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

    Pioneers Medical Center is committed to equal treatment and opportunity in all aspects of

    recruitment, selection, and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin,

    ethnicity, age, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, gender identity, sexual

    orientation, veteran or military status, or any other category protected under the law. As an equal

    opportunity employer, Pioneers Medical Center will not limit or segregate employees in any way

    which would tend to deprive them of employment opportunities/promotions, or affect the status

    of their employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran

    status.

  5. Post your job

    To find infection control nurses for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any infection control nurses they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level infection control nurses with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your infection control nurse job on Zippia to find and attract quality infection control nurse candidates.
    • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting infection control nurses requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new infection control nurse

    Once you've decided on a perfect infection control nurse candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new infection control nurse. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an infection control nurse?

Hiring an infection control nurse comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting infection control nurses involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of infection control nurse recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $75,171 per year for an infection control nurse, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for infection control nurses in the US typically range between $24 and $52 an hour.

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