Conversation with Linda Dickey, RN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC

Conversation with Jennifer Cox, MHA, BSN, RN, PHN, CIC

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Jennifer Cox, an Infection Prevention leader whose career journey is such a great example of how this field often finds people gradually — and then continues to challenge and shape them over time.  Jennifer’s path into Infection Prevention started with an early interest in microbiology, then grew through bedside nursing, small hospital experience, and years of learning the profession from the ground up. What makes her story especially meaningful is the way it reflects so many realities of this work: stepping into the role before you feel fully ready, learning through curiosity and persistence, building confidence over time, and continuing to grow through new environments, new responsibilities, and new leadership challenges.  In this conversation, Jennifer shares what it was like to begin in a small rural hospital with limited resources, how she developed as both an Infection Preventionist and a leader, and what she’s learned from working across community settings, large health systems, and now an academic medical center. We also talk about mentorship, certification, professional involvement, team design, and why qualities like humility, curiosity, and a willingness to keep learning matter so much in this profession.  If you’re interested in career growth, leadership development, and the kind of mindset that helps people succeed in Infection Prevention over the long haul, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in. _________________________   Voice for Infection Prevention is a production of Clutch Recruitment. Clutch Recruitment, founded by Jacob Hutcherson, is the leading recruiting firm exclusively committed to Infection Prevention & Control recruitment. Voice for Infection Prevention Website | https://voiceforip.com [https://voiceforip.com] LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention [https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention] Instagram | https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention [https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention] Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/ [https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/] Twitter | https://twitter.com/voiceforip [https://twitter.com/voiceforip] Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip [https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip] Clutch Recruitment Jacob Hutcherson | https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson [https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson] Jonnie Jacobs | https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs [https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs] Jordan Turner | https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8 [https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8] Website | https://clutchrecruitment.com [https://clutchrecruitment.com] Linkedin | https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment [https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment] Instagram | https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment [https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment] Facebook | https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment [https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment] Twitter | https://twitter.com/clutchREC [https://twitter.com/clutchREC]

Conversation with Linda Dickey, RN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Linda Dickey, a longtime Infection Prevention leader whose career reflects just how much this profession has evolved over the years — and how much of its success still comes down to relationships, curiosity, and a willingness to keep growing.  Linda’s journey into Infection Prevention wasn’t something she planned from the beginning. She started in nursing, found her way into the field unexpectedly, and went on to build a remarkable career spanning community hospitals, academic medicine, program leadership, national professional service, and extensive work in areas like healthcare construction and the built environment. In this conversation, Linda shares what surprised her most when she first entered Infection Prevention, how the role changed as the industry moved toward greater accountability and public reporting, and why she believes the people side of the work is just as important as the technical side. We also talk about leadership, team design, career growth, the value of professional involvement through APIC, and what she has learned from helping shape the field over time. If you’re interested in the evolution of Infection Prevention, what makes someone successful in this work, and where the profession may be headed next, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in. _________________________   Voice for Infection Prevention is a production of Clutch Recruitment. Clutch Recruitment, founded by Jacob Hutcherson, is the leading recruiting firm exclusively committed to Infection Prevention & Control recruitment. Voice for Infection Prevention Website | https://voiceforip.com [https://voiceforip.com] LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention [https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention] Instagram | https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention [https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention] Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/ [https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/] Twitter | https://twitter.com/voiceforip [https://twitter.com/voiceforip] Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip [https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip] Clutch Recruitment Jacob Hutcherson | https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson [https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson] Jonnie Jacobs | https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs [https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs] Jordan Turner | https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8 [https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8] Website | https://clutchrecruitment.com [https://clutchrecruitment.com] Linkedin | https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment [https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment] Instagram | https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment [https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment] Facebook | https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment [https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment] Twitter | https://twitter.com/clutchREC [https://twitter.com/clutchREC]

Conversation with Maureen Spencer, MEd, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today, I’m joined by Maureen Spencer, a longtime leader in Infection Prevention whose career has spanned decades of change across healthcare, from the early days of hospital infection control to corporate leadership, consulting, education, and beyond. Maureen’s story is especially unique because she entered the field at a remarkably young age, helping build an Infection Prevention program early in her career and going on to lead across academic medical centers, specialty hospitals, and multi-hospital systems. Along the way, she developed a perspective on Infection Prevention that is both deeply practical and deeply human — shaped by years of clinical experience, leadership, teaching, and a strong belief that changing behavior is at the heart of this work.  In this conversation, Maureen shares how the profession has evolved over time, what she believes Infection Prevention has gotten right, where she believes the field may have gone off track, and why training, reporting structure, and professional identity still matter so much today. We also talk about team design, the value of strong clinical understanding, and her belief that effective Infection Prevention programs are built not just on data, but on education, influence, relationship-building, and culture change.     If you’re interested in the history of the profession, leadership in Infection Prevention, and thoughtful perspectives on where the field should go next, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in. _________________________ Voice for Infection Prevention is a production of Clutch Recruitment. Clutch Recruitment, founded by Jacob Hutcherson, is the leading recruiting firm exclusively committed to Infection Prevention & Control recruitment. Voice for Infection Prevention Website | https://voiceforip.com [https://voiceforip.com/] LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention [https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention] Instagram | https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention [https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention] Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/ [https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/] Twitter | https://twitter.com/voiceforip [https://twitter.com/voiceforip] Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip [https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip] Clutch Recruitment Jacob Hutcherson | https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson [https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson] Jonnie Jacobs | https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs [https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs] Jordan Turner | https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8 [https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8] Website | https://clutchrecruitment.com [https://clutchrecruitment.com/] Linkedin | https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment [https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment] Instagram | https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment [https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment] Facebook | https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment [https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment] Twitter | https://twitter.com/clutchREC [https://twitter.com/clutchREC]

Conversation with Alisha Sheffield, MSN, RN, AL-CIP, CIC and Lauren Musil, BSN, RN

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! Today’s episode is a little different from the conversations we usually have, and I’m really excited to share it with you. Instead of focusing on one individual career journey, this episode is centered on a practical resource and a broader effort to support Infection Preventionists across the country.  I’m joined by Alisha Sheffield and Lauren Musil, two Infection Preventionists from Nebraska Medicine whose work has expanded beyond the traditional hospital-based IP role into grant-funded education, tool development, and resource support designed specifically for Infection Prevention professionals — especially those working in smaller, under-resourced, or more isolated settings.  In this conversation, we talk about how their work evolved out of the pandemic, what they’ve learned about the needs of today’s Infection Prevention workforce, and how their team has built tools and educational resources to help bridge some very real gaps in onboarding, training, and day-to-day support. This is a really valuable discussion for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the scope of Infection Prevention, struggled to find practical guidance, or wondered how we can better support both new and experienced IPs in the field.  If you’re interested in the future of Infection Prevention education, accessible resources, and the kinds of innovation that can help strengthen the profession as a whole, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in. _________________________ Voice for Infection Prevention is a production of Clutch Recruitment. Clutch Recruitment, founded by Jacob Hutcherson, is the leading recruiting firm exclusively committed to Infection Prevention & Control recruitment. Voice for Infection Prevention Website | https://voiceforip.com [https://voiceforip.com] LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention [https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention] Instagram | https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention [https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention] Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/ [https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/] Twitter | https://twitter.com/voiceforip [https://twitter.com/voiceforip] Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip [https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip] Clutch Recruitment Jacob Hutcherson | https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson [https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson] Jonnie Jacobs | https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs [https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs] Jordan Turner | https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8 [https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8] Website | https://clutchrecruitment.com [https://clutchrecruitment.com] Linkedin | https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment [https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment] Instagram | https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment [https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment] Facebook | https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment [https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment] Twitter | https://twitter.com/clutchREC [https://twitter.com/clutchREC]

Conversation with Lerenza Howard, DHSc, MHA, CIC, LSSGB

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today, I’m joined by Lerenza Howard, an Infection Prevention leader whose career journey brings such a thoughtful and encouraging perspective to the field. Lerenza came into Infection Prevention from a microbiology background, and her story is a great example of how valuable non-nursing pathways can be in this profession. From clinical laboratory work to starting her Infection Prevention career in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, her path reflects both the complexity of the role and the level of resilience, curiosity, and critical thinking it takes to grow in it.  In this conversation, Lerenza shares what it was like to enter Infection Prevention during one of the most intense seasons healthcare has faced, how she built confidence as a non-nurse in a field that has historically leaned heavily toward nursing backgrounds, and what helped her develop the clinical knowledge, leadership skills, and professional presence needed to succeed. We also talk about certification, mentorship, APIC involvement, career advancement, and why relationship-building and continuous learning are so essential in this work.  If you’re interested in nontraditional paths into Infection Prevention, leadership growth, and practical encouragement for both new and aspiring IPs, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in. _________________________ Voice for Infection Prevention is a production of Clutch Recruitment. Clutch Recruitment, founded by Jacob Hutcherson, is the leading recruiting firm exclusively committed to Infection Prevention & Control recruitment. Voice for Infection Prevention Website | https://voiceforip.com [https://voiceforip.com] LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention [https://linkedin.com/company/voice-for-infection-prevention] Instagram | https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention [https://instagram.com/voiceforinfectionprevention] Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/ [https://www.facebook.com/voiceforip/] Twitter | https://twitter.com/voiceforip [https://twitter.com/voiceforip] Tik Tok | https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip [https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceforip] Clutch Recruitment Jacob Hutcherson | https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson [https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-hutcherson] Jonnie Jacobs | https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs [https://linkedin.com/in/jonnie-jacobs] Jordan Turner | https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8 [https://linkedin.com/in/jordan-turner-3ab7731a8] Website | https://clutchrecruitment.com [https://clutchrecruitment.com] Linkedin | https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment [https://linkedin.com/company/clutchrecruitment] Instagram | https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment [https://instagram.com/clutchrecruitment] Facebook | https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment [https://facebook.com/clutchrecruitment] Twitter | https://twitter.com/clutchREC [https://twitter.com/clutchREC]