Leadership Lesson – August 2024: Infection Prevention Leadership: Harnessing the Power of Influence for Safer Health Care

Words of advice from leaders on the front lines.
This month’s leadership lesson is from Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, Alliant’s patient safety manager.

Effective leadership in infection prevention and control is key to ensuring resident safety and regulatory compliance. During my decade as an infection preventionist (IP), I experienced firsthand the challenge of being in a position that was vital to the facility’s success but lacked the formal authority and recognition of leadership positions. Developing your ability to influence others was an effective strategy to overcome this challenge.

At the Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology (APIC) 2024 Conference, I attended a session by Tiffany Dogan, the infection prevention program manager at UCLA Health. who described influence as the intersection of character and connection. When developing the capability to influence, Dogan shared that we must first understand our own character traits of integrity, honesty, and authenticity so we can build meaningful and trusting relationships with others.

I remembered the ongoing struggle of trying to improve compliance with transmission-based precautions at my facility. As I evaluated how I could lead this change and improve compliance, I realized that I didn’t need direct authority. What I needed was to interact with staff as individuals with different levels of knowledge and interest. I needed to show them that I’m trustworthy and a safe person they can come to with questions about IP practices. As I got to know my colleagues and understood their needs, I became an IP influencer and compliance improved.

IPs are critical to the overall success of health care facilities. Investing time in developing your character and regularly connecting with your coworkers can help you harness your influence capabilities. These principles could help you avoid F tags in infection prevention and control areas and create a safer and more supportive environment for residents and staff.