JOB
PURPOSE:
The Healthcare Center Infection
Preventionist is responsible for the development, direction, implementation,
management and operation of the infection prevention in the healthcare center.
The healthcare center Infection Preventionist conducts ongoing staff
development, training and quality assurance performance improvement monitoring
to insure adherence with the organizational standards, CDC, and the county and
state health departments. The responsibilities encompass compliance with Joint
Commission (JC) standards, CMS, OSHA, and state regulations, outbreak
investigation, and overall direction of the infection prevention and control program.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Infection Prevention
a.
Acts as subject matter expert and resource
within the healthcare center to residents/families, partners, providers,
visitors, community, and public health regarding infection prevention and control measures, including
identification of infectious disease processes.
b.
Provides consultation and expertise to partners
and residents in infection prevention and control practices as it relates to
the transmission of infectious disease, management of isolation of patients,
PPE usage, safe infection practices, disinfection, environmental
cleaning, facilities management
(maintenance, renovation and construction), water management, and evaluation of
new products.
c.
Assesses the immunization status of residents
and partners, administers vaccines, and educates residents and partners about immunizations.
d.
Completes necessary physical assessment and
health history of resident and partners according to TB program guidelines.
e.
Provides counseling and education about
laboratory testing, follow-up x-rays, physical examination and therapy for TB
prevention and disease.
f.
Refers residents and partners for follow-up to
outside agencies for continuity in care for any suspected or confirmed
infectious disease process.
g.
Maintains current knowledge with CMS, state and
federal regulatory agencies and public health guidelines as it relates to
infection prevention.
h. Reviews
the risk of blood borne pathogens, OSHA standards, and exposure control plan to
ensure implementation of best practice for occupational health to decrease the
likelihood of exposures to infectious diseases.
i.
Reviews the infection prevention and control
policies and procedures annually and conducts formal partner training on
updates and new regulations.
j.
Develops, implements and evaluates infection
prevention and control goals, measurable objectives and action plans for the
healthcare center infection prevention and control program.
k. Provides
expert knowledge, guidance, and perform routine risk assessments in infection
prevention and control in consultation and collaboration with infection control
committee teams as appropriate.
l.
Participates and supports infection prevention
initiatives on center, region and division levels
to insure our infection prevention program and processes are utilizing best
practice approaches.
m.
Maintains records and reports in accordance to
organization standards, including documentation in electronic health records,
reports, etc.
n.
Provides ongoing infection prevention and
control findings, recommendations, annual reports, policy and procedure updates
to the QAPI committee.
Antibiotic
Stewardship Program
a.
Develops and evaluates goals, measurable
objectives and action plans for the HCC antibiotic
stewardship program.
b.
Improves the therapeutic use of antimicrobials
through education of clinicians and prescribers, guidelines and data reporting,
c.
Collaborates with pharmacy services to identify
and facilitate plans of correction using evidence-based practice interventions
for improvements in the antibiotic stewardship program.
d.
Provides ongoing reports to the QAPI committee
of compliance updates.
Surveillance and
Compliance
a.
Conducts ongoing healthcare wide surveillance of
healthcare associated infections through collection, review, analysis and
interpretation of data from various sources, (i.e., hand hygiene, occupational
exposure incidents, etc.).
b.
Tracks and trends surveillance to identify
opportunities for improvement based on data analysis including activities to
decrease healthcare associated infections and improve resident outcomes related
to identified infection control deficiencies.
MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED:

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), OR professional training in medical technology, OR professional training in microbiology, OR professional training in epidemiology, OR other related training.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Have a minimum of three years of clinical experience in an acute care or long-term care setting or disease surveillance in public health.
• Previous experience in teaching and curriculum development in clinical instruction.

MINIMUM LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY LAW:

• Hold a current, unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse (RN).

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: (Additional qualifications)

• All infection preventionist are required to complete specialized training in Infection Prevention and Control by either CDC Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Web-based Training Course and/or University of North Carolina Spice Training as a condition of continued employment within three (3) months of employment.