Validating the certification process for infection control practice Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN Robin Else&erg, MSEd Barbara 1111. Soule, RN, BS, CIC Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Olympia, Washington Approximately 5 years ago a task analysis was conducted by the Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) to describe infection control practice. This task analysis served as the basis for development of the certification examination. This article describes the process used to update and revalidate the original task analysis to ensure the continued validity and job relatedness of the certification process. Using a modified Delphi technique, several panels of representative expert infection control practitioners (ICPs), a total of 29 persons, participated in an iterative process to define the practice dimensions of infection control and to link these practice dimensions to the certification examination. In general, there was a high level of congruence between respondents on the original task analysis and the expert panels, although a few differences in practice were identified among ICPs in extended care facilities and a few new tasks were identified. In addition, a revised content outline for the examination was created by placing clusters of knowledge statements together around common themes. (AM J INFECT CONTROL 1988;16: 198-205) HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE In the early 1980s a stratified random sam- ple of infection control practitioners (ICPs) throughout the United States was surveyed for the purpose of identifying the most important and frequent tasks performed in infection con- trol practice. This task analysis included eight areas of practice, based on the Association for Practitioners in Infection Control (APIC) standards: patient care practices, infectious diseases, microbiologic practice, epidemiology and statistics, sterilization and disinfection, ed- ucation, employee health services, and man- agement and communications.1‘3 The task anal- ysis made it possible for the first time to define From the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Balti- more, Assessment Systems Incorporated, Philadelphia, and St. Peter Hospital, Olympia. Reprint requests: Elaine Larson, RN, PhD. FAAN, Nutting Chair in Clinical Nursing, The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 600 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205. and describe the scope of infection control prac- tice in hospitals. In addition, results from this survey were used as a basis for development of the certification examination in infection con- trol, under the direction of the Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) and a profes- sional testing agency. Since the original task analysis, infection control practice has undergone considerable change. New infectious diseases such as ac- quired immunodeficiency syndrome have be- come of increasing concern to the profession and to the public. Prospective reimbursement systems for hospitals have intensified the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of infection control measures inasmuch as the costs of nos- ocomial infections represent significant eco- nomic loss to the hospital.4 The movement by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (formerly the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals) toward an assessment of outcomes (infections