In a discussion with Jacob Hutcherson, Melissa Bronstein shared her experience transitioning from WakeMed to Duke University Medical Center, marking her first time changing hospitals after becoming an Infection Preventionist. Jacob was curious about how the move impacted her, especially given that she had just settled into her role at WakeMed. Melissa explained that while switching facilities felt like a big change, the skills she had developed at WakeMed were highly transferable and could be applied effectively at Duke. The main difference, she noted, was the scale—WakeMed was large, but Duke was even bigger.
Melissa emphasized that the same evidence-based practices used to tackle infection prevention challenges at WakeMed were applicable at Duke, with some adjustments. Whether working in a small community hospital or a large academic medical center, the problems were essentially the same. The core methods for resolving issues, like reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), were rooted in the same principles. However, at Duke, she had the opportunity to work with a renowned team, including Dan Sexton, Kathy Kirkland, and Keith Kay, which deepened her expertise and allowed her to expand her role.
One of the key reasons Melissa’s title at Duke included “nurse epidemiologist” was her involvement in the data-driven side of Infection Prevention. At Duke, there was a significant focus on publishing research and supporting the Infection Prevention program with solid data. Melissa learned how to create and manage databases, ensuring that her team had accurate numerator and denominator data to analyze. This emphasis on data gave her a new perspective on demonstrating the effectiveness of Infection Prevention interventions.
Melissa delved into the importance of statistical analysis in her work at Duke. She became deeply involved in running statistical tests and analyzing the data to confirm whether the changes they implemented were truly making a difference. While the hands-on infection prevention work remained largely the same, this additional layer of data management and research allowed her to measure and validate the success of their programs with precision.
Her transition to Duke highlights how the fundamentals of Infection Prevention can be applied across different healthcare settings, regardless of size. Melissa’s story underscores the importance of data in Infection Prevention, not only as a tool for tracking progress but also for demonstrating the efficacy of programs in a way that’s evidence-based and statistically sound. The experience she gained at Duke solidified her expertise in the field, blending practical Infection Prevention work with the analytical rigor of epidemiology.