Infection preventionists (IPs) who are competent and confident, who can dress sharply and speak well, and are adept and finding and fixing the “core” of a problem, may want to go out on their own and become a consultant.
Sound a little daunting? Not to DeAnn Richards, RN, BSN, CPHQ, CPPS, CIC, LTC-CIP, an independent consultant who founded her own business.
“Be prepared for first-time meetings in person,” she said. “This includes knowing your audience and your potential client. I personally spend time up front investigating the client, taking notes on their services, mission statements, even leadership names and roles. Not only do you want to dress professionally, but you want to look like the whole package from your smile to how you walk, how you greet, how you convey your confidence, your smarts, and your power. First impressions really do count.”
Richards outlined the challenges and rewards of IP consulting at a recent webinar held by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
“During my first in-person meeting with the client, I consistently let them know that I will be honest with them, and in return I need them to be honest with me, to give me the best support possible,” she said. “This response is often [met] with a big sigh of relief and agreement and allows the ability to fix problems at the core root rather than at the surface level. This communication leads to the ability to deliver complex opinions with honesty and tact.”
Richards has worked in various capacities with APIC, which created its own consulting agency in 2008 to consult with public health, hospitals, and venues beyond clinical settings. In the webinar, Richards outlined the field in general, explaining IPs could become affiliated with a consulting firm or set up shop as independent operators.
“After many years of working on infection prevention, do you find yourself being bored at times?” Richards said. “OK, OK, outside of COVID. Consulting allows you to apply infection prevention across multiple settings and in the process continue your path of learning through teaching the content.”
Consulting involves applying the critical thinking skills common to IPs in assessing a client’s infection control issue and whether the organization has the right work culture to enact change. A seasoned veteran in infection prevention, Richards said sharing experiences and insights with clients is part of consulting,
“We all learn best through experience,” she said. “I still enjoy learning more about healthcare every day.”
The benefits of consulting include flexibility and the freedom to choose where your particular interests lie.
“When I need to be home, I can decide where I’m working and how many hours on any given day,” Richards said. “For instance, I prefer to do much of my policy review work remotely. Typically, when I’m traveling, in the evening I complete this work so that when I return home, I can devote my attention to my family instead. I rarely work full-time, but I can still cover my business and personal expenses without difficulty due to the low overhead of running a consulting business.”
The Contract
Although the IP consultant can be her own boss in this sense, you have to work in a way that fulfills the contract with the client.
“With any contract, the needs will vary, as well as the length of the assignment,” Richards said. “You provide the support until the project is completed. Short-term contracts typically last from weeks to a quarter, and then long-term contracts are three months or more. For each one of these types of contracts, the client decides where the support is to be provided.”
Accepting the consulting job may require travel to work on-site.
“This could be just for a day, several days, periodic visits, or continual support,” Richards said. “For example, at the beginning of COVID, I had several contracts that were three-week stays out of state to help provide the support. Other times, I can drive to the location the day before, have the site visit, and then the next day return home. To balance that, I also have contracts where I can drive in the morning to the site, complete the visit, and drive back home later that afternoon.”
IPs also can contract for remote work, which allows consulting from home or while traveling, she said. Likewise, a consulting job may require a mix of work on-site and remotely.
“Regardless of the facilities’ request, verify the dollar amount per hour,” Richards suggested. “Are you paid differently for on-site vs. remote work? It all comes down to the amount [of time] you’re willing to provide.”
Time management is a skill that will be required early for IPs who become consultants.
“You need to be willing to ask yourself and provide an honest response: What are my current and future time commitments? Will I stay with my full-time employer, or can I decrease my hours or even use earned time? If I’m retired, how much time do I want to spend working?” she said. “Until you know your availability, it isn’t easy to take the first step of consulting.”
To get a handle on this, you may need to interview potential clients before writing a contract proposal, making sure it is understood what you are promising to do and the time required to do it.
“When APIC or other consulting firms offer you a contract, this will include the explanation of the kind of work needed,” she said.
Contracts could include client gap assessments, outbreak investigation and interventions, onboarding new IPs, and collaboration with state health departments. Consultants also may provide compliance assistance, and education and training to prepare for accreditation or federal or state surveys.
“When you sign on the bottom line, you agree to commit to the project and, in return, are accountable for the outcome, just like the client is doing the same,” she said.
Building Your Brand, Resolving Disputes
“Building your brand is part of showing your confidence and knowledge of your consulting skills, and it requires a little research and study,” Richards said. “But to be promoted, word of mouth is often the most effective means of marketing. When getting started, consider networking with APIC colleagues and your contacts in industry or education who help promote you.”
Also, be honest with yourself about your IP expertise and the limits thereof. For example, Richards said she has worked in operating rooms but is not up with current knowledge and practice in that setting enough to consider it a consulting opportunity.
Consider making a list of consulting subject areas that are a green light, dependent on the situation, or a hard stop, she added.
“Once you know your subject matter, it’s easy to promote your expertise by writing, whether in newsletters, blogs, books, or articles,” she said. “You could consider paid ads also to attract [business], but it must be focused on your decision-making audiences, such as administrators or quality leads.”
Consider doing media interviews, posting a biographical sketch on social media, and soliciting client testimonials to extend marketing efforts, she recommended.
“Word-of-mouth [comments] can either make or break a business,” she said. “The best way to achieve this is to ensure the clients’ expectations are met.”
Knowledge expectations can include up-to-date technical knowledge so you can connect to the Internet and quickly find your files and resources.
“Now, my laptop is my brain — I have additional features on it that I don’t have on my home computer,” Richards said. “It is my responsibility to know how to use the apps quickly and effectively.”
By the same token, keep up with the changing subject matter by signing up for reliable healthcare sources of infection prevention news, information, programs, and webinars.
Remember that the client may be dealing with an infection control problem that they do not necessarily want to be made public.
“Maintain confidentiality on who the client is, where they’re located, and the reason for your visit,” she said. “Just like in healthcare — only provide the information to those [who] need to know.”
Communication includes written documentation and reports. Try to be as short as possible, accurate, and to the point.
“Remember that it’s not just the IP [who] will be reading this document, but it will be shared with multiple individuals across the organization,” she said.
Be prepared for your daily consulting plan to be sidetracked by an unforeseen event.
“One of the recent events that comes to mind — my arrival also included the fact that right behind me came a CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) survey team,” Richards said. “After discussing with the leadership team, I immediately went out to the floor with the director of nursing. We started making immediate changes and reminding staff of proper procedures to avoid obvious visual infection prevention citations.”
When the going really gets tough, IP consultants might find themselves squarely in the middle of a conflict resolution in progress.
“Opposing opinions, strong emotions, and high stakes typically feed on each other,” she said. “Regardless, you must develop mutual respect. Apologize when appropriate, fix any misunderstandings, and create a mutual purpose to move on.”
Infection preventionists who are competent and confident, who can dress sharply and speak well, and are adept and finding and fixing the “core” of a problem, may want to go out on their own and become a consultant.
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