Infection Preventionist

Position Summary

Assist the Director, Patient Safety in facilitating Infection Control/Prevention practices throughout the hospital including surveillance, analysis, interpretation and reporting of hospital acquired infections (HAI); educating employees about infection prevention; and the development of hospital policies and procedures to insure rigorous infection control standards that meet Joint Commission, OSHA, Centers for Medicaid/Medicare Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other nationally recognized recommendations and requirements.

Assures compliance with regulatory standards in infection control, quality and patient safety

• Performs surveillance to identify healthcare acquired infections and other adverse outcomes to ensure safe patient care.
• Uses the electronic medical record and surveillance system, to review clinical and laboratory findings in assigned areas to identify infectious conditions that may require reporting or further action such as the implementation of precautions to prevent organism transmission.
• Serves as content expert in all infection prevention matters in support of clinical staff, performance improvement teams and hospital committees.
• Demonstrates knowledge and application of current regulatory and professional society guidelines. Performs literature reviews to support performance improvement and practice changes.
• Demonstrates the ability to assess a situation from an infection prevention perspective and recommends appropriate action within scope of responsibility to ensure safe and quality patient care. Rounds in assigned inpatient units, outpatient areas, perioperative areas, and ancillary departments regularly and on an as needed basis for evaluating compliance with infection prevention practices, policies, and regulatory agency requirements.
• Recognizes need, develops, and provides educational programs on infection prevention for all levels of personnel to improve their infection prevention knowledge base and practice.
• Conducts new employee education providing basic information prevention principles and practices.
• Assists in assembling agenda, graphs and materials presented and distributed to the Infection Control Committee, performance improvement teams and others as requested.
• Acquires and maintains current knowledge of infection prevention professional society guidelines, best practices and regulatory requirements as demonstrated by attending infection prevention conferences and workshops, reviewing current infection prevention literature, guidelines and national standard and networking with external Infection Prevention Specialists.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Bachelor’s degree in nursing, Biology, Microbiology, Medical Technology, Epidemiology, or Master of Public Health (MPH) required. Minimum 3 years of relevant experience required. CIC strongly preferred.

Capable of building strong relationships with providers and staff to meet shared objectives and goals and deliver solutions. Working knowledge of patient care practices, microbiology, asepsis, disinfection and sterilization practices, adult education principles, infectious disease, disease transmission, surveillance techniques, performance measurement and improvement principles, licensing standards and regulations. Computer skills (Excel/PowerPoint/Word), applied knowledge of applied biostatistics, written and graphical presentation skills.