Infection control practitioner vs nurse

The differences between infection control practitioners and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an infection control practitioner and a nurse. Additionally, an infection control practitioner has an average salary of $73,111, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.

The top three skills for an infection control practitioner include patients, infection prevention and infection control. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Infection control practitioner vs nurse overview

	Infection Control Practitioner	Nurse
Yearly salary	$73,111	$57,564
Hourly rate	$35.15	$27.68
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	58,850	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does an infection control practitioner do?

An infection control practitioner is a highly qualified and sought-after medical practitioner. They operate in a wide range of environments and help prevent, investigate, monitor, and report infectious diseases in these environments. They must be able to formulate and execute effective approaches to minimize the spread of infections and have up-to-date awareness of infection-control methods. Due to the risk of infection in their work environment, they must strictly adhere to safety protocol.

What does a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Infection control practitioner vs nurse salary

Infection control practitioners and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Infection Control Practitioner	Nurse
Average salary	$73,111	$57,564
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $106,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	Children's Hospital New Orleans	Conviva
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between infection control practitioner and nurse education

There are a few differences between an infection control practitioner and a nurse in terms of educational background:

	Infection Control Practitioner	Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Infection control practitioner vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between infection control practitioners' and nurses' demographics:

	Infection Control Practitioner	Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 14.1% Female, 85.9%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between infection control practitioner and nurse duties and responsibilities

Infection control practitioner example responsibilities.

Treat acute illnesses and manage chronic conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic pain, and diabetes.
Manage team of medical support personnel, orient new clinical employees and develop new guidelines for chemotherapy administration.
Provision of care includes health maintenance, disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment with specialty consultations as indicated.
Develop IC plans, ICRA, performing CDC NHSN surveillance.
Develop blood borne pathogen policy and exposure management program to meet OSHA and CDC requirements.
Work collaboratively with staff, departments and administration to reduce the risk of hospital-acquir infections among patients.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Infection control practitioner vs nurse skills

Common infection control practitioner skills

Patients, 18%
Infection Prevention, 8%
Infection Control, 7%
Public Health, 6%
Infection Control Policies, 6%
Infection Control Practices, 5%

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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Infection Control Practitioner
Infection Control Practitioner vs Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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