Senior Infection Preventionist

Senior Infection Preventionist

The Senior Infection Preventionist supports the Southeast Health mission through system‑wide coordination of planned and reliable processes designed to prevent hospital acquired infections and enhance continuous infection prevention processes.

The Senior Infection Preventionist is responsible for assisting in the administration and clinical operation of the Infection Control and Prevention Program for the organization. This involves professional responsibilities in patient care practices, epidemiology, statistics, infectious disease, education, communication, surveillance, mandatory reporting, product evaluation, disinfection, and sterilization.

They collaborate with stakeholders including ancillary, nursing, and medical staff to identify trends, prioritize and recommend improvements, and ensure compliance with Federal and State regulatory standards.

The Senior Infection Preventionist (SIP) is responsible for the surveillance, analysis, and reporting of hospital acquired infections; educating employees about infection control; and the development of organizational infection control standards that meet state and federal regulatory and accrediting bodies, CDC, and APIC guidelines.

The Senior Infection Preventionist will also investigate incident reports and other infection control and prevention issues as requested by the supervision.

• Monitoring, analyzing, and interpreting pathogen reports and infection statistics, followed by recommending appropriate control measures to prevent dissemination of resistant microorganisms.
• Utilizing CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions and applying them consistently. Collecting, aggregating, and analyzing NHSN data, providing the required reports and data submission to NHSN. Serves as NHSN administrator for the facility.
• Reporting required data to regulatory bodies, and local or federal authorities as required by law.
• Lead the development of the annual infection prevention and control plan, annual report and risk assessment, and utilize them to promote the program to internal and external stakeholders.
• Creating a culture of continuous performance improvement and participating in the implementation of evidence‑based practices designed to ensure safety, prevent infections, and support the attainment of outstanding clinical outcomes.
• Conducting on‑site infection control assessment (ICRA) and creating feedback reports following the assessment.
• Apply evidence‑based guidelines in conjunction with manufacturers’ instructions for use to provide guidance for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of equipment.
• Providing consultation to prevent, analyze, and predict emerging outbreaks. Providing support to units during outbreaks or cluster of infections investigations.
• Participating in ongoing infection prevention continuing educational programs for employees as well as new employee orientation.
• Develop infection control rounding tools and coach new infection prevention staff on use of tools and follow up on the rounding process.
• Following the principles and requirements of antibiotic stewardship, via tracking infections and antibiotic use. Communicates results and maintains records of investigations.
• Facilitating activities to ensure compliance with hand hygiene and isolation compliance.
• Reviewing, revising, and developing policies and procedures within the purview of the Infection Prevention and Antibiotic Stewardship Committees. Facilitates and participates in the Infection Prevention Committee, under the direction of the chair. Participates in the Antibiotic Stewardship committee as representative of the Infection Prevention program, under the direction of the chair.
• Performs other duties as requested by primary manager that do not compromise moral code of conduct or protocols set in place for patient or employee safety.

• Baccalaureate degree in Nursing (current nursing license).
• Baccalaureate degree in Public Health with Epidemiologist focus or other health related field.
• Baccalaureate degree in Microbiologist.
• Certification in Infection Prevention and Control or…