SUMMARY: Responsible for the Infection Preventionist Program. Evaluates the quality of resident care and resident outcomes as they relate to healthcare–associated infections. Collects, prepares and analyzes healthcare–associated infection data, presents this data, and makes recommendations for actions. Monitors employee compliance in use of barriers and infection prevention measures. Prepares and presents educational offerings for the staff and serves as a resource to all departments and personnel. Implements policies to protect healthcare workers, visitors, and others in the healthcare environment and prevent adverse events. Provides internal and external reporting of information and data and promotes compliance with regulations, guidelines, and accreditation requirements.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitors healthcare-associated infections and any requisite additional precautions
• Assesses infection prevention problems and makes recommendations for corrective action
• Prepares the agenda for the infection prevention committee
• Monitors infection prevention practices for all departments and personnel
• Initiates and reviews infection prevention policies and procedures
• Conducts outbreak investigation and initiates control measures
• Reports communicable diseases to the state as required by law
• Provides educational offerings for orientation and ongoing inservices
• Consults with department heads and physicians as needed to improve care
• Initiates follow-up on employee/resident exposures to communicable diseases.
• Serves as a resource to all departments
• Participates in performance improvement activities
• Participates in short- and long-range planning for the infection prevention department
• Performs other duties as directed
• Ensures resident and staff vaccination programs are completed timely
• Maintain all aspects of the employee health program are completed and timely
• Champion the Antibiotic Stewardship Program
• Calculate nosocomial infection rates each month and communicate rates to the Administrator and Director of Nursing
• Ensure the surveillance program is completed in a timely manner and maintain records appropriately
• Ensure maintenance of the resident health program including but not limited to the tuberculosis testing and the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines
• Conduct inservices and competency assessment annually and as indicated
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Nurse with current unencumbered state licensure.
• 1-5 years of experience in an acute care setting
• Strong assessment skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks
• Ability to interact with various members of the healthcare team
• Ability to advocate for the patient/family
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Computer proficiency in e-mail, Microsoft suite application, windows environment, and the Internet
• Evidence of at least one year of previous experience as a nurse case manager or discharge planner in the acute care setting desirable
• Evidence of a high level of skill in assessment, identification of problems, care planning, identification and development of community resources and patient/family teaching required.
• Ability to work effectively with others to accomplish organizational goals and to identify and resolve problems.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Current CPR certification is required.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Required to sit, stand, bend, and walk regularly; lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
• Visual and auditory ability sufficient for written and verbal communication.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Elevate Care is a fully integrated post-acute care consortium offering 24-hour skilled nursing care, short-term rehabilitation, post-hospital recovery and many more clinical specialized programs. We provide the highest quality of care and take it to the next level. Elevate Care is well known for our commitment to our employees, offering outstanding ongoing training and development, career advancement opportunities, competitive pay rates, generous compensation packages and much more.

Elevate Care is an Equal Opportunity Employer