Infection Prevention Nurse

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) - We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive, motivated and/or experienced infection prevention & control specialist nurse and team leader to take up a post within our IPCT. This would be an ideal opportunity for a dynamic, confident, and highly motivated nurse wishing to further their career in a specialist and pivotal field within healthcare.

The role is interesting and tasks include daily patient ward rounds, providing proactive advice to patients/staff/visitors, problem solving, undertaking audits, infection surveillance, outbreak management and teaching. This post requires travelling to other trust premises and therefore candidates must be able to get around the trust sites in a timely and efficient manner. You must have enthusiasm to continue professional self-development and development of others.

You will need to demonstrate your expertise and the contribution you can make to building a team, maintaining and improving trust infection rates and leading the trust forward as a centre of world class care., We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive, motivated and/or experienced infection prevention & control nurse to take up a post within our IPCT. The post holder will support the IPCT in:

• development and implementation of local and national infection prevention and control policies and initiatives
• decontamination
• surveillance
• outbreak investigation
• clinical audit

Planning and Organisational

Skills:

Lead and coordinate the IPC team on a daily basis ensuring appropriate prioritisation of workload for the team. Ensure that the IPC team review high priority patients across the Trust on a daily basis. Responsible for planning and prioritising own daily workload to ensure that both internal and external deadlines are met. Lead on and co-ordinate a programme of audits and negotiate with managers to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients and staff.

Undertake projects and service developments relating to infection prevention and control. Risk assess and advise on appropriate patient placement decisions (as requested by ward managers/senior nurses/patient flow team) to ensure smooth running and optimal bed occupancy with minimal risk. Contribute to the Infection Control Committee and other management/team meetings and assist with development of the Trusts annual infection control report acquiring information from a wide variety of sources.

Contribute to infection prevention and control policies and advise on related aspects for other Trust-wide policies. Responsibility for review of infection prevention and control nursing documentation to support effective management and care planning/pathways.

Patient and Client Care:
Challenge poor infection prevention and control practices and involve relevant staff to facilitate and improve quality of patient care. Escalate concerns relating to infection prevention and control where appropriate to the IPC Matron. Assist with the review of all serious incidents relating to infection prevention and control. Visit patients/relatives (as requested by clinical teams) to inform and advise in matters of infection prevention and control.

Communication:
Communicate in a highly effective manner with all staff groups through a variety of media e.g. presentations, written, verbal (in person and by telephone) and electronic formats. Through collaborative communication help to ensure that all teams across the Trust are working together in the delivery of the highest standards of IPC practice. Communicate with all patients in an open, honest and sensitive manner which may include complex, difficult and distressing subjects such as explanation regarding acquisition of multi-resistant bacteria and implications for the patient and his/her family.

Also, in line with patients wishes, communicate with relatives. Support the IPC Matron in the adaptation and implementation of local, regional and national guidance on infection prevention and control. Collate and provide a wide range of information to a number of teams; and to analyse clinical information, creating written reports for various committees. Representing the Infection Prevention and Control Team, promote and practice the highest standards of prevention and control of infection at all times.

Nurture key relationships and maintain networks within and outside the Trust to ensure teamwork and high-quality, patient centred infection prevention and control is embedded within the Trust.

Knowledge, Training and

Experience:

Act as an expert resource and provide specialised advice and support on infection prevention and control to staff. Especially with regards to clinical queries, product trials/ research medicines, equipment purchase and non-clinical aspects such as estates building and refurbishments and hotel services. Use specialist skills and knowledge to promptly identify, investigate and…