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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.