Global landscape and professionalization of infection preventionist education: comparative insights and future directions

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to pose a significant threat to global public health, underscoring the critical role of infection preventionists (IPs). However, considerable heterogeneity exists in IP training and credentialing worldwide. This mini-review synthesizes existing models from diverse healthcare systems into a unified "IP Education Maturity Spectrum." This conceptual framework categorizes global training systems into Nascent, Developing, and Established stages, defined by their maturity across three dimensions: Institutional Integration, Competency Orientation, and Career Sustainability. Furthermore, we address the "Professional Identity Paradox"-the structural tension between the field's multidisciplinary roots and the need for a specialized professional identity. Finally, we position academic integration, digital education, and global harmonization not merely as future trends, but as strategic interventions designed to propel systems up the maturity spectrum toward full professionalization.