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FOCUS ON THE INFECTION CONTROL LINK NURSE: A STRATEGIC CONNECTION POINT FOR CARE SAFETY

May 30, 2025 Federica Sorrentino

In today’s healthcare landscape, patient safety is an absolute priority. Among the emerging roles dedicated to ensuring quality and prevention within healthcare settings, the Infection Control Link Nurse (ICLN) is taking on an increasingly central role. This healthcare professional serves as a bridge between the infection control team and frontline clinical staff.

The role of the ICLN was created in response to the need to enhance the effectiveness of infection prevention measures related to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), reducing clinical risk through widespread, continuous, and coordinated action within healthcare teams.

Who is the ICLN, and what do they do?
The Infection Control Link Nurse is a specially trained nurse who:

promotes the adoption of best practices in hygiene, infection prevention, and control;
supports the implementation of institutional protocols and international guidelines;
monitors infection risks within clinical units, working closely with the infection control team;
encourages ongoing staff education through awareness and training activities;
contributes to the development of an organizational culture focused on safety and shared responsibility.

Why is this role important?
The ICLN plays a key role in driving cultural change within healthcare organizations, helping to engage every healthcare worker in the prevention process. In a context where HAIs present a major clinical and organizational challenge, having professionals capable of acting as change facilitators, building internal collaboration networks, and transferring knowledge to colleagues is crucial.

To meet this training need, the University of Parma, through its Healthcare Master’s programs, has launched the Advanced Training and Specialization Course for Infection Control Link Nurses (ICLN) — the first course in Italy specifically designed around this professional role.

The course provides:

up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge;
tools for multidisciplinary work;
insights into leadership, networking, and infection risk management.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH AND SAFETY CULTURE: THE VISION OF THE ICLN COURSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PARMA

May 24, 2025 Federica Sorrentino

The increasing complexity of healthcare today requires professionals who can integrate technical, clinical, relational, and organizational skills. In this context, the Advanced Training and Specialization Course in Infection Control Link Nurse (ICLN), promoted by the University of Parma as part of its Master’s programs in Healthcare, was created.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent one of the main challenges to patient safety. Their prevention can no longer be entrusted to individual roles or managed in a fragmented way: it requires collective action, a shared culture, and an integrated approach. This is precisely why the ICLN Course aims to train healthcare professionals capable of working in multidisciplinary settings, acting as a bridge between clinical staff, infection risk prevention officers, and healthcare management.

The training program is designed to develop four key dimensions:

The ability to translate scientific evidence and protocols into everyday care practices, adapting them to specific contexts;
The competence to transfer knowledge and best practices to colleagues, promoting continuous on-the-job training;
The creation of internal and external collaborative networks capable of integrating knowledge and responsibilities at all levels of the healthcare system;
An active role in facilitating organizational change, guiding healthcare structures toward higher standards of safety, quality, and accountability.

This approach is not only theoretical but highly experiential: the course includes lectures, workshops, project work, and internship activities, ensuring training that is deeply rooted in the operational reality of healthcare services.

The ICLN thus becomes a key figure not only for the prevention of HAIs but for the entire system of healthcare quality and safety—a facilitator, an educator, a promoter of continuous improvement.

The ICLN Advanced Training Course is unique in the Italian educational landscape: it is the first structured program dedicated to training this professional role, aligned with Italian regulations and the latest international evidence on infection control.

UNIVERSITY OF PARMA: LAUNCH OF THE ADVANCED TRAINING COURSE IN INFECTION CONTROL LINK NURSE (ICLN)

May 8, 2025 Federica Sorrentino

As part of its Healthcare Master’s programs, the University of Parma is launching the first Advanced Training and Specialization Course in Infection Control Link Nurse (ICLN) in Italy—a unique program designed to provide advanced training for healthcare professionals in the prevention and management of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The ICLN plays a key role in the modern healthcare system, acting as a vital link between infection control teams and frontline clinical staff, significantly contributing to reducing infection risks and improving patient outcomes.

Equipped with technical expertise, clinical skills, organizational abilities, and leadership qualities, the ICLN is a reference figure in promoting patient safety and excellence in care.

The aim of the course is to train professionals capable of promoting the adoption and ongoing update of best practices through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach.

The call for applications will be published in June 2025, with the application deadline set for the end of July 2025.
Enrollment is scheduled for September 2025, and the course will run from October 2025 to February 2026.
The program lasts four months and will be delivered online in synchronous mode on Thursdays and Fridays, on alternating weeks, to accommodate working students.
The total cost is €900, payable in two installments (€500 + €400). Five auditor slots are available at a reduced cost of €600.
Upon completion of the course, participants will earn 30 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

Admission is granted without a selection exam, subject to availability, to candidates holding one of the following:

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Midwifery, or equivalent qualifications
Health Assistant qualification obtained under the old academic system
Degree in Environmental and Workplace Prevention Techniques
Diplomas and equivalent qualifications in accordance with current legislation

The curriculum includes 100 hours of lectures and 125 hours dedicated to either an optional internship or the development of a project work, which can be carried out within the participant’s own healthcare organization or another selected institution.
At the end of the course, students will be required to submit a final paper focusing on a topic of particular relevance to their professional interests.

Key modules include:

Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance
Evidence-based prevention strategies and dissemination methods
Clinical governance and quality of care
Team leadership and professional networking

Special emphasis is placed on developing skills for managing organizational change and building collaborative professional networks.

“The launch of this course is a concrete and strategic response to the growing need for integrating clinical, organizational, and communication skills in infection risk management. The Infection Control Link Nurse acts as a bridge—translating scientific evidence into daily good practices while engaging sensitively and authoritatively with multidisciplinary care teams. Training these professionals means investing in quality and safety in healthcare, enhancing the proactive role of every healthcare worker in infection prevention and in fostering a culture of continuous improvement,” said Professor Antonio Bonacaro, Associate Professor of Nursing Sciences at the University of Parma and Course Director.

Link to the course