Infection Preventionist - Infection Prevention (Days)

Job Description

This position requires travel to both Bremen and East Alabama.

Definitions

The Infection Preventionist will work directly with the Infection Prevention Leadership and the team of Infection Preventionists as well as clinical team. Responsibilities in this role will include: Assisting with the day to day activities of the System Infection Prevention Department. Utilizing epidemiologic tools to identify patients and personnel at risk of infection, clustering or outbreaks of infections, variation in the levels of Healthcare Acquired Infections, or single cases of unusual infections. Developing and monitoring of activities related performance improvement to include but not limited to surveillance for healthcare acquired infections, reportable diseases, employee occupational health and safety. Assisting in designing collection, analyzing and presentation of data. Promotes compliance with regulations, evidence based guidelines and accreditation requirements. Serve as an Infection Prevention consultant for construction and design projects throughout the hospital system. Works with clinical teams to identify infection prevention needs of patients and give guidance in specific cases as to best practice.

Required Knowledge & Skills

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, Medical Technology, Epidemiology or Public Health required. Masters preferred.

Experience: Minimum 2 years of related experience in acute care, critical access hospital or similar preferred. One year of Infection Prevention, preferred. No experience required. Requires working knowledge of specialized practices, equipment, and procedures.

Licenses and Certifications

NONE REQUIRED

Certification in Infection Control, preferred or when eligible within two years of employment.

RNs-current or compact RN licensure in the state of Georgia preferred.

Medical Technologist- current generalist or specialty certification by a nationally recognized board/agency preferred.

Supervision

Has no authority over personnel, but must be able to function as a member of an integrated team.

Staff position which assists leadership performing an advisory function in providing service to line supervisors.

Qualifications

Current Georgia RN license preferred

One year Clinical or Infectious Prevention or hospital-based work history experience is preferred.

Computer literacy with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software required. Prefer experience with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Certified in Infection Control (CIC) highly preferred

Requirements

Statement Of Employment Philosophy

Being a part of Tanner Health System is more than a job, it is a promise we make to treat every patient with exceptional service every time they walk through our doors. Service excellence is the foundation of our organizational culture and the expectations we all set for each other, our patients, physicians and our community. All employees agree to abide by a set of service standards. These standards are the promise we make to provide the best care possible, and represent our beliefs, values and who we strive to become. We each commit to making Tanner Health System a great place for our employees to work, for patients to receive care and for physicians to practice medicine.

Functions

Area of Responsibilities

Job Knowledge: Performs targeted and visual surveillance activities to identify healthcare acquired infections, outbreaks, and environmental hazards applying Infection Prevention Committee approved criteria in accordance with established policies and procedures, most current guidelines, and regulatory requirements. Assesses for compliance with evidence-based IP practices and policies and procedures. Aggregates, analyzes, and reports infection prevention data both internally and externally through organization chain of command and reporting mechanisms. Acts as a primary education consultant to hospital employees, physicians, visitors, and patients.

Communication: Communicates via the chain of command. Plans, develops, and initiates Infection Prevention educational programs using the principles of adult learning and serves as a resource for all departments and personnel. Presents a confident, articulate, and well organized delivery when instructing, educating, and presenting Infection Prevention information. Serves as an active participant in performance improvement initiatives for Tanner Health System. Communicates professionally and appropriately with staff, patients and their family members. Remains diplomatic and objective when dealing with sensitive issues, encourages and fosters an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect, and demonstrates respect for age, culture, sex, and socioeconomic differences amongst people. Compiles reports and official correspondence as needed by the department meeting short suspense dates as necessary.

Leadership Skills: Serves as a principle member of the Infection Prevention Committee reporting Healthcare Acquired Infections, trends, and recommendations for improvement. Interprets and assures compliance with JC, CMS, OSHA, NPSG's, and other regulatory requirements, CDC guidelines, and makes recommendations for improvements where indicated. Participates in the annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the IP Program and assists in the risk assessment, action planning and goals for the IP Program for the succeeding year. Develops schedules for accomplishing program and departmental requirements while adapting readily to all situations, requiring fluctuation and changes in priorities.

Judgement and Decisions: Identifies, initiates, and investigates healthcare acquired occurrences using appropriate and current guidelines and recommendations. Identifies and manages outbreak situations using CDC guidelines for management offering appropriate prevention and control measures and ensuring notification of appropriate personnel using the chain of command. Addresses all consultant requests in a timely manner referring to and providing support documents and/or references as needed.

Professional Qualities: Complies with corporate/facility professional requirements, personnel standards and policies at all times. Maintains professional competence through participation in continuing education and other learning experiences. Attains and maintains credible consultant status through completion of national board certification in Infection Control (CIC).

Compliance Statement

Employee performs within the prescribed limits of Tanner Health System's Ethics and Compliance program. Is responsible to detect, observe, and report compliance variances to their immediate supervisor, the Compliance Officer, or the Hotline.

Required Knowledge & Skills

Education: Associate Degree or 2 years of college coursework

Experience: Two years of related experience. Requires working knowledge of specialized practices, equipment, and procedures.

Licenses and Certifications

NONE REQUIRED

Supervision

Has no authority over personnel, but must be able to function as a member of an integrated team.

Staff position which assists leadership performing an advisory function in providing service to line supervisors.

Qualifications

Current Georgia RN license preferred

Two years Clinical or Infectious Disease experience required.

Computer literacy with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software required. Prefer experience with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Certified in Infection Control (CIC) highly preferred

Definitions

The Infection Preventionist will work directly with the Infection Prevention Leadership and the team of Infection Preventionists as well as clinical team. Responsibilities in this role will include: Assisting with the day to day activities of the System Infection Prevention Department. Utilizing epidemiologic tools to identify patients and personnel at risk of infection, clustering or outbreaks of infections, variation in the levels of Healthcare Acquired Infections, or single cases of unusual infections. Developing and monitoring of activities related performance improvement to include but not limited to surveillance for healthcare acquired infections, reportable diseases, employee occupational health and safety. Assisting in designing collection, analyzing and presentation of data. Promotes compliance with regulations, evidence based guidelines and accreditation requirements. Serve as an Infection Prevention consultant for construction and design projects throughout the hospital system. Works with clinical teams to identify infection prevention needs of patients and give guidance in specific cases as to best practice.

Position Responsibilities

Contact with Others: Frequent contacts of a significant nature involving difficult negotiations and technical matters requiring thorough knowledge of organization policies or treatment, plus an ability to understand, communicate with, and to lead, and influence others to obtain willing acceptance, consent, or action. Requires a high degree of diplomacy.

Effect of Error: Probable errors in information developed independently which may involve continuing adverse effect on the overall operation and major functions of the organization and a substantial loss of organization funds, organization effectiveness, and public image. Work is not generally subject to check. Full and complete access to highly restricted objectives, plans, and programs.

People Management Responsibilities

Supervisory Responsibility: Staff position which affects the caliber of supervision throughout the organization by advising line supervisors on one or more aspects of their responsibility for jobs and people.

Work Environment/Physical Effort

Mental Demands: Work involves a variety of complex problems to be solved under general organization policies. Ingenuity and judgment are required to review facts, plan work, estimate costs, and deal with factors not easily evaluated, interpret results, draw conclusions, and take or recommend action. Solutions to problems often require coordination with other departments.

Working Conditions: Minor - Occasionally involved in exposure to dirt, odors, noise, or some work is performed with exposure to temperature/weather extremes/occupational risk and probability of coming into contact with blood borne pathogens, other potentially infectious diseases, or biomedical/bio-hazardous materials.

Working Conditions Aspects for Immunizations

Performs tasks involving contact with blood, blood-contaminated body fluids, other body fluids, or sharps (needles): No

Directly works with Patients less than 12 months of age: No

Physical Effort: Minor physical effort - Job requires person to stand and/or walk frequently. Lifts, carries, or uses lightweight (1 to 25 lbs.) materials or equipment less than half of the day. Works in reaching or strained position intermittently. Office or laboratory work requires close visual effort less than half of day. Office or Laboratory work with concentration on a monotonous, repetitious procedure or skill most of day, where speed and accuracy are essential.

Physical Aspects

Bending: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Typing: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Manual Dexterity -- picking, pinching with fingers etc.: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Feeling (Touch) -- determining temperature, texture, by touching: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Hearing: Constant = 67% - 100% of the time.

Reaching -- above shoulder: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Reaching -- below shoulder: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Visual: Constant = 67% - 100% of the time.

Color Vision: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Speaking: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Standing: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Balancing: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Walking: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Crawling: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Running - in response to an emergency: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Lifting up to 25 lbs.: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Lifting 25 to 60 lbs.: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Lifting over 60 lbs.: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Handling -- seizing, holding, grasping: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Carrying: Frequent = 34% - 66% of the time

Climbing: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Kneeling: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Squatting: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Tasting: Not required

Smelling: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Driving -- Utility vehicles such as golf carts, Gators, ATV, riding lawnmowers, skid steer, aerial lift: Not required

Driving -- Class C vehicles: Not required

Driving -- CDL class vehicles: Not required

N95 Respirator usage (PPE): Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Hazmat suit usage (PPE): Not required

Pushing/Pulling -- up to 25 lbs.: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Pushing/Pulling -- 25 to 60 lbs.: Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Pushing/Pulling -- over 60 lbs. : Occasional = 1% - 33% of the time

Position Type

Full-time