1. Tell us about your experience putting together your portfolio for the AL-CIP?
Putting together my portfolio challenged me to step back from the day-to-day work and recognize how much I have contributed as a leader. In infection prevention, we are often focused on the next issue and rarely pause to reflect. Looking at my work—from developing a career ladder for my team to expanding prevention efforts across inpatient and ambulatory settings—helped me connect individual projects to broader leadership growth. The hardest part was choosing examples that clearly demonstrated my role, the decisions I made, and why the work mattered.
2. Can you provide tips for writing a successful rationale?
Be specific about your contribution and make the connection to the competency clear. Give enough background to explain the need, then focus on what you did, why you took that approach, and what changed or what you learned. When describing a team accomplishment, explain your leadership role while recognizing the contributions of others. Choose evidence that supports your rationale, use plain language, and make every sentence count.
3. What advice would you give to someone considering the AL-CIP?
Start collecting examples of your leadership work now, even if you are not ready to apply. Save the work that shows how you developed others, influenced decisions, improved processes, or addressed a difficult problem. Give yourself time to reflect and write. Most importantly, do not discount the work you do simply because it feels like part of your job. Some of your strongest leadership examples may come from the challenges you work through every day.
4. What does earning your AL-CIP mean to you?
Earning my AL-CIP is a meaningful professional accomplishment and recognition of the leadership I have worked hard to develop. It reflects years of learning, making difficult decisions, advocating for patients, and supporting my team. It also reinforces my responsibility to mentor others and help our profession grow. I hope it encourages other infection preventionists to pursue challenging goals, recognize the value of their experience, and see themselves as leaders.
