Infection Preventionist- Registered Nurse

About North Country Healthcare (NCH)

North Country Healthcare is a non‑profit affiliation of four medical facilities—Androscoggin Valley Hospital, North Country Home Health & Hospice Agency, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, and Weeks Medical Center—located in the White Mountains Region of New Hampshire. The network employs hundreds of highly trained individuals and delivers integrated patient care through three community hospitals, specialty clinics, and home health and hospice services. NCH remains committed to the health and well‑being of the communities we serve.

Our leaders and managers emphasize advancing High‑Reliability Organization (HRO) principles, embedding a culture of safety, accountability, and consistent high performance.

The Infection Preventionist, RN will assist with development and implementation of the NCH infection prevention program with the overarching goal of identifying and reducing the risk of endemic and health‑care‑associated infections among patients, personnel, medical staff, volunteers, visitors, students and other health‑care workers that may contact the facility. The role will direct and coordinate the Blood Borne Pathogen (BBP) Exposure Prevention Plan, create, review, revise and manage all policies related to infection prevention, and ensure compliance with all federal, state and local regulations.

This position includes 28 hours of Infection Preventionist RN work and 12 hours of clinical Med‑Surg care.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a healthcare‑related field preferred; associate’s degree will be considered.
• Registered Nurse required.
• Certification in Infection Prevention and/or Employee Health desired/preferred.

• Current NH registered nursing license required.
• Association
  * accredited course in Basic Life Support (BLS) (for clinical staff) or Heart Saver CPR AED (for non‑clinical staff); renewal on a regular basis, with up to a three‑month grace period after the expiration date.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to work in a team‑oriented environment.
• Effective collaboration with others inside and outside the organization.
• Willingness to travel outside the organization for meetings and conferences.

• Minimum of 3‑5 years of nursing experience, with a focus on occupational health, public health, or employee wellness preferred.
• Experience in designing and implementing health promotion initiatives and educational programs preferred.
• Familiarity with state and federal health regulations related to occupational health preferred.

• 40‑hour position: 28 hours Infection Control, 12 hours clinical. Schedule can be flexible.
• Participate in committee assignments as appropriate (Infection Prevention Committee, Diversion Team, Safety Committee, Emergency Preparedness) to ensure staff are protected during disasters and/or emergencies.
• Maintain a current Infection Prevention Plan that reflects best practices and is implemented throughout the organization, complying with OSHA regulations and all other applicable federal, state and local rules. Review and revise the plan annually.
• Conduct surveillance to identify infections, communicable diseases and outbreaks by reviewing lab reports and clinical data; and verify that environmental services meet infection prevention standards.
• Monitor Hospital Acquired Infection and Surgical Site Infection rates, submit regular reports to the Infection Prevention Committee, and report data to federal, state and local regulators as required.
• Collaborate with Quality Improvement to design, implement and measure hospital‑wide quality improvement initiatives related to infection prevention (e.g., employee flu vaccinations, hand hygiene, hospital‑acquired UTIs).
• Manage vaccination programs for new hires and current staff (Hepatitis‑B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella), consult with physicians on administration and standing orders, and maintain all employee health records.
• Identify real and potential health hazards, and work with organizational personnel to…