Outbreaks of infection are managed by specialist practitioners in public health and infection control. However, the occurrence of an outbreak impinges on the work of other nurses employed in the affected service. In most cases, the effects will be self-limiting and although inconvenient at the time, are not far-reaching. However, media reports have raised concerns about outbreaks among healthcare workers as well as the public. The aim of this article is to provide an understanding of outbreaks of infection and the implications for nurses, drawing on the lessons learnt from a wide range of outbreaks past and present.