Infection Preventionist

Overview:

To be part of our organization, every employee should understand and share in the YNHHS Vision, support our Mission, and live our Values. These values - integrity, patient-centered, respect, accountability, and compassion - must guide what we do, as individuals and professionals, every day.

The Infection Preventionist (IP) works under the direction of the Infection Prevention Manager to help improve health care quality and patient safety through the implementation of national guidelines (CDC, SHEA, APIC, AORN, etc.), CMS Conditions of Participation, and federal and state regulations for infection prevention and control practices. The IP is responsible for the identification, investigating, reporting, prevention and control of health care associated infections using National Health and Safety Network (NHSN) criteria. Through mentoring and guidance he/she is actively acquiring fundamental infection prevention skills.

EEO/AA/Disability/Veteran

Responsibilities:

• Learning to perform surveillance for identifying healthcare acquired infections and other adverse outcomes to ensure safe patient care.
  • Uses EMR to review clinical and laboratory findings to identify infectious conditions that may require further action.
  • Applies NHSN definitions.
  • Identifies clusters or outbreaks and assists with exposure and/or outbreak investigations.
  • Follows state and federal requirements for communicable disease reporting
• Provides support to clinical staff, teams and committees in basic matters of infection prevention and control.
  • Acquiring knowledge and application of current IP policies, regulatory requirements, and state and federal agencies and professional society guidelines.
  • Developing the ability to collaborate with local DN clinical and ancillary departments and PI teams to improve infection related practices and processes.
  • Provides data and basic data analysis to identify opportunities for improvement and provides feedback on hospital and patient care processes, practices and outcome.
  • Learns to create and submits ICRAs for basic construction projects and monitors construction site.
• Learning to assess a situation from an infection prevention perspective and recommends appropriate action within scope of responsibility to ensure safe and quality patient care.
  • Participates in rounds in assigned department regularly and on as needed basis for the purpose of evaluating compliance with infection prevention practices, policies and regulatory agency requirement.
  • Learning to problem solve and suggests recommendations for eliminating transmission of organisms and correct inadequate infection prevention and control practices.
  • Responds to issues in assigned areas during business hours with assistance. Follows up on problems requiring immediate attention and monitors affected areas until issue/HAI is eliminated and/or corrected.
  • Serves as the resource off-hours, weekends, and holidays with the Hospital Epidemiologist or designee per departmental SOP when has developed appropriate knowledge base
• Applies adult education principles to assist in the designing and presenting of educational programs.
  • Assesses educational needs of employees, providers, patients and families and employs appropriate learning opportunities.
  • Assists in the development and provision of education educational programs using the most current accepted information as needed or requested. Uses a variety of teaching methods geared to audience.
  • Conducts New Employee education providing basic information on bloodborne pathogens and basic infection prevention principles and practices.
    
• Learning to create and assists in creating data displays, presentations and other materials to be presented and distributed to the Infection Control Committee, PI teams and others as requested.
  • Learning to use data to identify the need for change and proposes basic interventions/ improvement projects.
  • Learning to interpret data and apply basic statistical techniques to describe the data, calculate risk-adjusted rates, and benchmark against acceptable standards.
  • Develops the ability to assemble and present the data or epidemiologic findings to key stakeholders.
• Actively seeks professional growth, demonstrates professionalism and exhibits a good working rapport in all interpersonal interactions with departmental staff, healthcare personnel, contract workers, patients and visitors and community agencies.
  • Acquiring the fundamentals of infection prevention and principles of epidemiology.
  • Learning the relevant regulatory and societal guidelines.
  • Conducts literature reviews, learning to critically appraise the literature and facilitate incorporation of applicable findings into practice.
  • Prepares to take the Certification Board in Infection Control exam.
  • Actively participates in huddles, staff and departmental meetings
• Other duties as assigned.

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Qualifications:

EDUCATION

• Registered Nurse or Bachelors degree in healthcare related field (e.g., microbiology, public health) required. Master's degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE

• Must have a minimum of two (2) to five (5) years of experience in acute care hospital or similar required. Infection prevention experience preferred.

LICENSURE

• Active Registered Nurse license for appropriate state, if applicable. Certification in Infection Control (CIC) or willingness to become certified at 2 years in this position.

SPECIAL SKILLS

• Experience with Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) or similiar preferred. Able to communicate effectively; tactful in dealing with others; able to handle stressful situations; willingness to learn and apply knowledge appropriately; flexible and able to adapt to quickly changing work environment; demonstrates good judgement; detail oriented.

PHYSICAL DEMAND

• Requires traveling throughout the medical center, between campuses and off-site facilities to attend meetings, perform rounding and complete surveillance activities. Ability to take call via phone to respond to questions outside office hours. Rarely may need to be on-site after hours to respond to an emergency.