Nursing and Infectious Disease

Epidemiology studies how a disease spreads and where it comes from in a population. Nursing care requires a thorough understanding of epidemiology and disease transmission. An agent (virus, bacteria, parasite, or other microorganism), a vulnerable host, and a suitable environment are required for infectious disease transmission. Direct contact or indirect mechanisms of disease transmission are also possible (airborne droplets, vectors, fomites, water or food). Intervention can take the form of targeting the agent (e.g., with microbicides), modifying the environment (e.g., with negative pressure rooms), or strengthening the host (e.g., with antibiotics) (e.g., vaccination). Nurses with infectious disease expertise are in greater demand than ever before in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Nurses who work in infectious disease have to deal with some of the most severe situations in the medical field. As a result, these nurses must be well-educated, well-trained, and well-versed in the profession.

• Infection Control Nurse
• Treating and Preventing Infectious Disease
• Infectious Disease Management