Why do infection preventionists leave a job? A qualitative evaluation of infection preventionist attrition in health care.

BACKGROUND

Infection preventionists' (IPs) importance has increased over the years for various reasons. IP attrition results in risks to both patients and staff. The goal of this project was to determine the drivers of IP attrition and retention through focus groups.

METHODS

Focus groups constituted IPs who have been in the same role for > 5years (Tenured IPs), IPs who have left one IP role for another IP role in the last 3 years (Transitional IPs), IPs who have left the field of infection prevention (Former IPs), and IP leaders discussed drivers of attrition and retention. A thematic analysis was performed to determine themes and subthemes.

RESULTS

Twelve focus groups (Tenured: n = 24, Transitional: n = 23, Former: n = 10, and Leaders: n = 25) identified major themes related to attrition and retention: professional development and growth, organizational culture, recognition and value, workload and quality of work-life balance, leadership support, team dynamics, and the impact of Coronavirus 2019 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

IP attrition and retention are complex, and numerous factors impact an IP's decision to stay in their role. Health care leaders and leaders of IPs need to evaluate retention strategies for this role. Future studies should determine the correlation between retention strategies and turnover rates.