Infection Prevention Leadership Search: Insights and Advice From Tamara Behm, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, CER, CQIA, CCSVP, CAIP

September 4, 2024

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Discover Tamara Behm's journey in seeking an IP leadership role, her passion for patient safety, and advice for job-seeking professionals in infection prevention, in this discussion with ICT’s IPLifeline.

An infection preventionist is looking for a new position at a new facility.

(Credit: Author with AI.)

Looking for new employment opportunities can be daunting. Whether looking for a new role or a change of scenery, the job market can be overwhelming. In this article, we dive into the job market for IPs, “Ready to Work.” To learn more, I had an opportunity to interview Tamara Behm, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, CER, CQIA, CCSVP, CAIP, an experienced nurse of 18 years and IP with 14 years of experience looking for an infection preventionist (IP) leadership role.

Brenna Doran PhD, MA, ACC, CIC: Thank you, Tamara, for sharing a bit about your experience and hints and tricks for other IPs considering a change. Right now, you are seeking an IP leadership role in Arizona. Tell us a bit about what led you to look for a new role.

Tamara Behm MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, CER, CQIA, CCSVP, CAIP: What led me to look for a new role is my personal experience with seasonal affective disorder and depression. I currently live in New England and have spent the last 9 months in an interim role in California.

I have learned to appreciate the sun and the warm weather. After discussing it with my husband, we decided that we would like to move to Arizona. My parents live there, and they are getting older, and I just need sun—it’s all I need.

BD: Arizona has plenty of sun, around 300 days a year.¹

Switching gears, I wonder if you can tell me a little bit about your passion for infection prevention and what keeps you invested in the field.

If you know of a hospital looking for a passionate IP leader with a wealth of experience and a passion for patient safety and mentoring, please check out Tamara’s LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-behm-msn-rn-cic-fapic-cer-cqia-ccsvp-caip-65a5b030/ ) or reach out to her directly via email at TbehmIPConsulting@gmail.com

TB: There are so many things.
My main passion in infection prevention is ensuring every patient leaves my hospital better than when they came in. It's about saving lives, and sometimes people forget that you must have a safety culture and patient-centered care. They are at the center of my mind; it’s always about the person.

I can't tell you how many times I've sat at my desk and cried because a preventable infection contributed to their deaths. It's heartbreaking. So, for me, the passion is always the patient.

Another passion is education, truly embracing our next generation and our new IPs. During COVID-19, IPs were hired and, sometimes, thrown into the roles untrained. They are not as prepared, and I love mentoring.

IP LifeLine From Infection Control Today

I just got a text message yesterday from one of the girls that I trained out in San Diego. She passed her CIC [Certification in Infection Control], and I started crying It's amazing to see the fruits of that. I hope she'll continue to grow in her role. We must nurture those who are in the roles.

BD: I love how you described nurturing the next generations of IPs. As an IP actively looking for that leadership role in Arizona, tell us a bit about your experience being “Open to Work.”

TB: It is a struggle. The negative side is “phishing,” people who reach out to you regarding an available role that isn’t real.

What has been most impactful for me is the lack of feedback from a potential employer during the interview process. I think, as IPs, we always look for opportunities to improve, and it is challenging to know what you could have done better or differently when you are not selected for a role.

BD: Could you expand a bit more on what you mean by the lack of feedback? How is it impacting you?

TB: There are multiple steps in the interview process. First, you apply. I almost always will get an email saying, “Thank you, thank you for applying.” From there, I sometimes never hear from the employer again, or I will oftentimes be declined with no message at all. I only learn of the declination because I check into the employer’s website to check the status of my application. It'll say “rejected,” “not considered,” or “declined.”Of all the roles I have applied to, I have only had the opportunity to interview twice in the last 2 ½ years! Of the 2, one, I was notified the employer had chosen an internal candidate. The second, nothing.

To give this some context, I've been looking for a role in Arizona for about 2 and a half years. That is frustrating. What is more challenging is I have no clue what the barrier is. I don’t understand what I need to do differently, so now I'm looking outside IP. I even started my own business, a consulting business. While I have been successful with consulting work, I am flooded with interim requests, but nothing permanent.

The lack of feedback and ghosting happens even outside of IP roles. It is not uncommon to apply to a role and not receive an update or notification of the status of your application for months. For context, let's say I’ve applied to about 200 open positions and at least 100 so far this calendar year with 1 interview.

BD: I cannot even imagine how discouraging that must feel. Considering the struggles you've been having and your extensive professional background, credentials, and certifications, what insights or advice would you give to other IPs who are currently job hunting?

TB: Consider things other than in a hospital setting or an IP role. I wonder if wanting to return to a hospital setting after working in an industry role may be hurting me. If so, that is unfortunate, as I gained a ton of experience working for a manufacturer that allowed me to gain a deep knowledge of sterile processing. I cannot help but wonder if hospitals don't recognize the value of industry experience because it is not infection prevention in a hospital setting.

In truth, because infection prevention touches so many aspects, the experience in industry being part of research and development, and learning about the science from an industry perspective is so valuable. Then, the experience of being outside of the hospital, working with multiple facilities, and then for me to bring it back into the hospital in an IP role is super valuable. Truly, I learned more about high-level disinfection and sterilization in the four years I worked in the industry than in the prior 10 years of being a hospital-based IP.

BD: I really appreciate you sharing this and highlighting how an IP's expertise is a culmination of all our experience. It’s what allows us to be so successful in so many different healthcare environments. If you were to reflect on your experience over the last two years, what advice would you give to other IPs regarding submitting their resumes or working with recruiters?

TB: The best thing I can recommend is creating a base of people you can contact. I've worked with recruiters for years. Build those relationships and keep them close because they will be the ones you can call. They have more insight into what roles are open and are often in direct line with the hiring manager.

Something else to consider is closely aligning your cover letter with the qualifications of the role you are applying for. In my experience, some employers are searching for a specific candidate using artificial intelligence (AI) to select with their job description. If the resume or cover letter does not have the desired keywords from the job description, your application may not be moved on to a recruiter.

When you put your application materials together, they need to reflect your accomplishments. Personally, I'm horrible at writing cover letters, but there are a lot of really great AI programs out there that will do one for you. If you use AI to help you with your resume or cover letter, be sure to adjust it to reflect your unique voice.

BD: Is there anything about the topic you would love to share that I didn't ask?

TB: I don't think so other than always being open to doing things like this where you share yourself with others. I feel like we can only learn if we share with each other. I really feel like if we can share knowledge with people, then they can learn too. And why would you not want everybody to learn everything you have to share? This is a role where you've got to be all in.

BD: Thank you so much for sharing your experience being “Open to Work.” For our readers, Tamara is looking for a leadership role, ideally IP, in Arizona.

*Edited for length and clarity.

References

1. Arizona Office of Tourism. Arizona Office of Tourism Launches ‘Sunshine to Share' Social Media Campaign. Published 2024. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://tourism.az.gov/arizona-office-of-tourism-launches-sunshine-to-share-social-media-campaign/