1. Tell us about your experience putting together your portfolio for the AL-CIP?
It was challenging but worth it. The hardest part was turning complex projects into short rationales with evidence that clearly matches the competencies. It also reminded me that leadership in infection prevention is a lot about coordinating people, getting changes in place, and following through—not just knowing the technical details.
2. Can you provide tips for writing a successful rationale?
Be concrete and avoid general statements. I used baseline-to-post metrics when possible. If metrics weren’t available, I focused on clear implementation outputs: tools I created, workflows standardized, and monitoring put in place. Also, make your personal contribution clear—use “I” whenever appropriate to show your ownership.
3. What advice would you give to someone considering the AL-CIP?
Start early and build a running evidence bank: de-identified files, outcome metrics, and quick notes on your role. It saves a lot of time and helps you pick the strongest examples without scrambling at the end.
4. What does earning your AL-CIP mean to you?
This credential is meaningful to me because it reflects the leadership I’ve built in infection prevention and control: bringing teams together, turning ideas into action, and following through so improvements stick.
