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The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions

BACKGROUND: The current shortage of healthcare workers (HCW) across the country has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of infection preventionist (IP) is no exception. As a result, a shift to broaden the scope of HCWs entering IP has gained attention. This study sought to compar...

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Autores principales: Galvan, Benjamin D., Howard, Lerenza L., Kuo, Tiffany D., Rezaeian, Saba
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Published by Mosby, Inc. 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9215337/
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.03.118
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author Galvan, Benjamin D.
Howard, Lerenza L.
Kuo, Tiffany D.
Rezaeian, Saba
author_facet Galvan, Benjamin D.
Howard, Lerenza L.
Kuo, Tiffany D.
Rezaeian, Saba
author_sort Galvan, Benjamin D.
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: The current shortage of healthcare workers (HCW) across the country has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of infection preventionist (IP) is no exception. As a result, a shift to broaden the scope of HCWs entering IP has gained attention. This study sought to compare competency expectations between medical technologists (MT) and IPs to better understand the bridge between the two professions, with the intent of highlighting MTs as qualified candidates for novice IP positions. METHODS: This study evaluated available competency guidelines for MTs and compared them to the 2019 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) competency model for the IP. The primary source used for this study was the Competency Guidelines for Laboratory Professionals resource made available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Supplemental competency data was drawn from a research article focused on MTs with 3-5 years of experience. Domains within the CDC's model were determined to either be completely, partially, or not addressed within APIC's model. The 6 primary domains and 32 subdomains of the APIC model were then compared to the CDC model, both with and without the supplemental article data, and results evaluated. RESULTS: Results showed a 74% complete and partial match between the APIC 2019 competency model and domains within the CDC MT competency model, or 28 of 38 domains. When supplemental competency data was included for MTs with 3-5 years of experience with additional education, there was an 82% complete and partial match between sources, or 31 of 38 domains. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that MTs, particularly with 3-5 years of experience with additional education, possess a strong foundational knowledge set for novice IP positions. Hiring managers should strongly consider MT applicants for open IP positions moving forward.
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spelling pubmed-92153372022-06-22 The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions Galvan, Benjamin D. Howard, Lerenza L. Kuo, Tiffany D. Rezaeian, Saba Am J Infect Control Ldpm-71 BACKGROUND: The current shortage of healthcare workers (HCW) across the country has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of infection preventionist (IP) is no exception. As a result, a shift to broaden the scope of HCWs entering IP has gained attention. This study sought to compare competency expectations between medical technologists (MT) and IPs to better understand the bridge between the two professions, with the intent of highlighting MTs as qualified candidates for novice IP positions. METHODS: This study evaluated available competency guidelines for MTs and compared them to the 2019 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) competency model for the IP. The primary source used for this study was the Competency Guidelines for Laboratory Professionals resource made available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Supplemental competency data was drawn from a research article focused on MTs with 3-5 years of experience. Domains within the CDC's model were determined to either be completely, partially, or not addressed within APIC's model. The 6 primary domains and 32 subdomains of the APIC model were then compared to the CDC model, both with and without the supplemental article data, and results evaluated. RESULTS: Results showed a 74% complete and partial match between the APIC 2019 competency model and domains within the CDC MT competency model, or 28 of 38 domains. When supplemental competency data was included for MTs with 3-5 years of experience with additional education, there was an 82% complete and partial match between sources, or 31 of 38 domains. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that MTs, particularly with 3-5 years of experience with additional education, possess a strong foundational knowledge set for novice IP positions. Hiring managers should strongly consider MT applicants for open IP positions moving forward. Published by Mosby, Inc. 2022-07 2022-06-22 /pmc/articles/PMC9215337/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.03.118 Text en Copyright © 2022 Published by Mosby, Inc. Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.
spellingShingle Ldpm-71
Galvan, Benjamin D.
Howard, Lerenza L.
Kuo, Tiffany D.
Rezaeian, Saba
The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions
title The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions
title_full The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions
title_fullStr The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions
title_full_unstemmed The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions
title_short The Often-Overlooked Applicant: The Medical Technologist as a Qualified Candidate for Novice Infection Prevention Positions
title_sort often-overlooked applicant: the medical technologist as a qualified candidate for novice infection prevention positions
topic Ldpm-71
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9215337/
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.03.118
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