Why Medical Technologists Should be Considered for IP Roles

Prevention Strategies

Why Medical Technologists Should be Considered for IP Roles

“Hiring managers should strongly consider MT applicants for open IP positions moving forward.”

Institutions with an infection preventionist (IP) shortage should consider medical technologists (MT) with three to five years of experience to fill the void.

That’s the argument made in a poster presented at the APIC Annual Conference in Indianapolis.

MTs with those characteristics and “with additional education possess a strong foundational knowledge set for novice IP positions,” the study concludes. “Hiring managers should strongly consider MT applicants for open IP positions moving forward.”

The study set out to compare competency expectations between MTs and IPs in an effort to potentially bridge the professions while demonstrating that the former are viable candidates for open IP jobs.

MTs are “behind-the-scenes detectives in the health care industry.” They perform clinical laboratory procedures and collect and analyze samples of blood, tissue, and body fluids. They may be generalists or specialists.

Researchers found a 74 percent match between APIC’s 2019 competency model for IPs and the CDC’s model intended for MTs. When supplemental data was factored in for MTs with three to five years of experience and additional education, the competency domains rose to an 82 percent match.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated an existing healthcare worker shortage, according to the poster, and IPs are no exception. For this reason, there ought to be an effort to broaden the scope of healthcare workers entering IP roles.

The novel coronavirus was naturally a recurring theme throughout the conference, which occurred in person for the first time in three years because of the pandemic.

More Infection Prevention Articles
Why Medical Technologists Should be Considered for IP Roles
Prevention Strategies
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the healthcare worker shortage and infection preventionists are no exception.
What Does ANSI/AAMI ST91 Mean for Endoscope Reprocessing in Your Department?
Prevention Strategies
The new updates classify high-risk endoscopes while enhancing all areas of their reprocessing.
More From Single-Use Endoscopy

Preventing Infection

Olympus has received three warning letters from the agency in recent months; this one calls out “a troubling disregard for patient safety.”

Infectious diseases are about to become a bigger presence in ICUs around the world.

Preventing Infection

Only one out of five patients admitted to an ICU in recent decades landed there due to an infectious disease, but that is changing, according to one expert.

Free Resources to Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of GI Nurses and Associates Week

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Applications

The society provides you with a list of ideas to recognize the GI nurses in your department.