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Infectious Disease Nurses: The First Line of Defense
What Does an Infectious Disease Nurse Do?
As an infectious disease nurse, you care for patients with varying transmissable diseases. Infectious disease nurses are responsible for proper handling of infectious materials or spaces such as blood or blood-stained products, expectorants, mucus secretions, contaminated or quarantined patient rooms, and patient excrement. Having a firm understanding of how different diseases are transmitted (blood vs. airborne vs. skin-to-skin contact) is vital in protecting both the patients as well as other health care workers. These nurses typically work in hospitals, research facilities, or private clinics.
Education & Training Required to Become an Infectious Disease Nurse
There are no specific degree programs in infectious disease nursing at the bachelor's level, nor are there online degree programs for infectious disease nurses. In order to practice as a specialized infectious disease nurse, you must complete an accredited RN or BSN program.
After becoming a nurse whose area of expertise is infectious disease, there are several certifications that you can get in order to keep up with your required continuing education units (CEUs). Several programs across the nations offer master's level infectious disease nursing degree programs, allowing graduates to practice as infectious disease nurse practitioners and primary care providers.
Typical Characteristics of an Infectious Disease Nurse
As an infectious disease nurse, you are working with highly transmissable and contagious agents from which you need to protect yourself, your colleagues, and your patients. You need to pay close attention to how these infectious agents are transmitted and acquired and know exactly what precautions (i.e. eye shields, respirator masks, gloves) to take while caring for patients with such conditions.
High Demand for Infectious Disease Nurses
With an increased number of outbreaks of different infectious diseases globally, such as the Avian Flu and the H1N1 Virus, infectious disease nurses are needed more than ever. Salaries for infectious disease nurses are comparable to those of hospital staff nurses. In 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median annual salary for a registered nurse was $62,450. If you have a passion for working to protect whole communities and educating patients on disease prevention, becoming an infectious disease nurse can give you a great sense of accomplishment.
Registered Nurse Degree Programs
With convenient class locations as well as online learning, University of Phoenix makes quality higher education highly accessible. Whether you're seeking an associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, we can help you reach your goal while you work-and much sooner than you might expect.
Advance your career and get the distinct competitive advantage you need with an online degree from Kaplan University. And do it without missing a day of work.
Balance your personal and professional commitments while earning a respected Ph.D., master's degree, or bachelor's degree online at Walden University. Programs offered in management, education, psychology and health and human services.
Take your career to new heights with Colorado Tech Online! Since 1965, Colorado Technical University has helped thousands of students achieve success in business, management and technology careers. Learn more today.
South University enjoys a long-standing tradition of excellence in education and personalized student attention. Enjoy the convenience of earning your bachelor's degree entirely online.
We keep our tuition affordable because it is an integral part of the overall mission for our university. The vision of our Chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., is to keep Liberty's Distance Learning Program affordable so as many individuals as possible can experience a Christ-centered education and become equipped for excellence, professionally as well as spiritually.
Flexible. Convenient. Affordable. Enroll at Independence University (IU) and enjoy the ease of studying at home, whiletraveling, or when stationed abroad. IU's accredited programsare proven, effective alternatives to a traditional classroomeducation. Speak with an IU Enrollment Advisor to create afinancial roadmap and payment schedule. You'll be surprised athow quickly an investment in your education pays for itself.
Advance in the nursing profession with Jacksonville University Online! JU offers a comprehensive degree program that allows nurses to complete their BSN - with 100% online lectures.
Earn your Master's degree online from a prestigious and innovative university. Norwich University offers programs in Justice Administration, Civil Engineering, Military History, Business Administration, Diplomacy, and more.
Take control of your career at Herzing College in Birmingham, Alabama. Day and evening classes are offered in Business, Design/CAD, Electronics/Telecommunications and Information Technology.
Advance your nursing career with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialization in Health Care Systems Management (HCSM) from Loyola University New Orleans Online.
Start your nursing career with The College Network. Earn your NLNAC/CCNE accredited nursing degree online from one of our partner universities: Regis University, Indiana State University, Angelo State University and more at half the cost and time of traditional universities with no campus attendance, no wait list and local clinicals.
