Infection Preventionist II

Infection Preventionist II

Join one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, UChicago Medicine, as Infection Preventionist II for our Infection Control department. This is a hybrid position at Hyde Park with some travel to other clinic sites as needed such as Orland Park and Northwest Indiana.

The infection preventionist works with the hospital epidemiologist, other members of the infection prevention and control program, hospital administration, providers, and staff to develop and implement the hospital-wide infection prevention and control program. Activities include investigation of infection problems and outbreaks, formulation of infection prevention and control policies and procedures, performance of unit and laboratory-based infection surveillance, implementation, project management, process improvement, identification and follow-up of significant pathogens (i.e., perform pulse‑field gel electrophoresis), and education of hospital personnel.

• Conduct routine surveillance plans to detect hospital‑associated infections and outbreaks.
• Collect and analyze clinical and laboratory data to accurately detect and characterize infections as community‑associated or hospital‑associated.
• Collaborate with peers and clinical laboratory staff to identify, investigate and resolve cases of hospital‑acquired infections.
• Perform analysis of data and prepare reports, including relevant charts, tables and graphs, of hospital‑related outbreaks.
• Present educational programs using adult learning principles concerning hospital infection control to hospital personnel.
• Provide timely written and verbal reports of findings from surveillance, investigations of problems or inquiries, and ensure that recommendations are implemented and problems are resolved.
• Oversee the planning, design, implementation, and completion of small to medium projects with support from a supervisor.
• Execute project plans and provide daily support for moving the project forward on large strategic initiatives with support from leadership.
• Within the first 12 months of employment, possess a working knowledge of patient care practices, asepsis, disinfection and sterilization, adult education principles, epidemiology and disease transmission, surveillance techniques, statistical methods used in infection prevention and control, and occupational health issues as they relate to infection prevention and control, performance measurement, and improvement principles.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in the area of infection prevention and control and function as a professional role model.
• Maintain own competency and continue education in infection prevention and control by reviewing current literature and seeking out new standards and regulations.
• Attend relevant workshops, conferences, and seminars locally and nationally and disseminate relevant information to staff.
• Contribute to the professional development of the field by preparing and presenting scientific findings at local or national meetings.
• Evaluate the performance of the infection prevention and control program and propose modifications of the program’s procedures and goals when necessary.
• If coming into the role with limited experience, become certified in infection control by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology after working for 2 years.

• Must have a current RN licensure in Illinois; or MLS (ASCP) certification as a medical laboratory scientist or equivalent with at least 3 years of experience in microbiology; or a master’s degree in public health.
• Must have at least 3 years of work experience in an acute care setting or health‑related field, such as direct patient care, clinical or laboratory research, epidemiology or infectious disease.
• Infection Control Certification by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology.
• Must be able to identify common bacterial and fungal pathogens, accurately perform basic laboratory procedures, and critically evaluate laboratory and clinical methods, procedures, and results.
• Must work independently to collect and critically evaluate information to characterize and manage infection…