Conversation with Jenay Beshears, MSN, RN, CIC

Welcome back to Voice for Infection Prevention! I'm your host, Jacob Hutcherson, and today I’m joined by Jenay Beshears, a seasoned leader whose career in Infection Prevention is a powerful example of long-term growth, adaptability, and servant leadership.

Jenay’s journey is especially unique because she has spent nearly three decades growing within the same organization, evolving from bedside nursing into system-level Infection Prevention leadership across a large network of hospitals. Along the way, she has navigated organizational change, expanded her influence across very different facility cultures, and continued to challenge herself professionally without ever losing sight of the people side of the work.

In this conversation, Jenay shares what it really looks like to lead Infection Prevention at the system level—balancing standardization with the unique needs of each hospital, building relationships with local leaders, and understanding how to influence change in complex healthcare environments. She also talks about the role of continued learning, why she chose to pursue her master’s degree, and why presenting, networking, and staying engaged beyond the day-to-day work can be so valuable for growth in this field.

If you’re interested in leadership, career development, and what it takes to grow and thrive in Infection Prevention over the long haul, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Let’s dive in.