Infection Preventionist - Registered Nurse

This position is located at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin, in the Quality, Safety, and Value Division (QSV). The Infection Preventionist (IP) Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising infection control practices.

The Infection Preventionist Registered Nurse executes position responsibilities to improve patient and organizational outcomes. The IP RN is responsible for providing expert, evidence-based infection control practices. The IP RN establishes surveillance indicators and conducts monitoring to identify and reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting infections among patients, employees, visitors, and students. Contributes to the annual Infection Control Risk Assessment, determining appropriate resources needed to accomplish the proposed plan, communicating any variance to administration and revises plan as needed.

The primary roles and duties for this position are responsible for auditing and investigating that affect the internal security of the agency.

The IP RN provides education on infection control issues, as well as annual and ongoing trainings to staff. The IP RN serves as an education resource for all employees on infection control, epidemiology, and provides knowledge and guidance. Collaborates with Employee Occupational Health (EOH) and other members of the interdisciplinary team to plan and implement the Immunization Program, i.e., influenza. The IP RN assists the Infection Control Provider in managing the Clinical Case Registry (CCR) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and Hepatitis C, including providing reports and alerts to clinicians.

The IP RN participates in risk assessments for all construction projects and completes random walk-throughs of construction projects to inspect/review practices. The IP RN implements and maintains a system for analyzing, trending, and reporting data. The IP RN assists in developing and maintaining mandatory documents such as standards operating procedures, policies, outbreak and exposure investigations, and external agency required documents.

Work Schedule:

Monday - Friday, Days

Preferred Experience:

* 3 - years of clinical nursing experience, preferably in acute care, critical care, or infectious disease settings.

* Experience in healthcare environments such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, or outpatient clinics.

* Experience in infection control, epidemiology, or related fields is highly preferred.

* Experience in managing infection control programs, conducting outbreak investigations, and implementing infection prevention strategies.

* A BSN or Master's degree in nursing or related field.

* Certification in infection control from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology is highly desirable.

* In-depth knowledge of infection control practices, guidelines, and regulatory standards.

* Understanding of epidemiological principles, disease transmission, and infection control methodologies.

* Proficiency in conducting infection surveillance, data collection, trend analysis, and reporting.

* Familiarity with infection control software, electronic medical records, and data analysis tools.

* Ability to collaborate with microbiology laboratories for pathogen identification and outbreak management.

* Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively educate staff, patients, and families on infection prevention practices.

* Experience in developing and delivering infection control training programs and educational materials.

* Strong analytical skills to interpret infection data, identify patterns, and develop evidence-based interventions.

* Ability to develop and implement effective solutions to infection control challenges and outbreaks.

* Experience leading or participating in infection control committees and task forces.

* Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including healthcare providers, administrators, and support staff.

* Attention to detail in monitoring compliance with infection control protocols.

* Ability to adapt to evolving infection control standards and emerging infectious diseases.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards

Pay:
Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards

Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Retirement:
Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance:
Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Telework:
Ad-hoc

Virtual:
This is not a virtual position.