Registered Nurse; RN - Infection Control; Gracedale Nursing Home

Job Description

General

Purpose:

The Registered Nurse (RN) – Infection Control position assists with the facilitation of the infection control program at Gracedale Nursing Home. Work includes determining the presence and cause of infections, analyzing individual patient care, and facility patterns of care.

Supervision Received:
This position reports directly to the Infection Control Coordinator.

Supervision Exercised:
This position is not responsible for the supervision of other employees.

Essential Duties of the Position:

• Assists the Infection Control Coordinator with the development and revision of policies and procedures for facility staff on issues such as universal precaution and isolation care.
• Uses and adapts Federal agency and other guidelines, ensuring goals and objectives are still met, and submits plan for review to higher level nursing and administrative staff, then implements revisions.
• Explains approved policies and procedures, and answers questions from affected personnel.
• Makes random visits throughout the facility to observe activities, storage of materials, and how work is being carried out.
• Prepares notes and submits reports of findings.
• Receives notices of any patient receiving antibiotics. Investigates each case, identifying the nature of infection, location, and other relevant facts.
• Determines any apparent systemic issue to be addressed, and prepares reports of these findings, and the conclusions.
• Receives culture reports and records the presence of any infections. Traces the source of the specimen to determine the source of the infection.
• Takes corrective measures or refers for medical or other action.
• Coordinates facility response to major outbreaks of infections, and arranges testing of all patients, visitors, employees, and others who may have been exposed.
• Advises applicable State agency of reportable situations, responses, and results.
• Required to cover for the Clinic Coordinator as needed, and to supplement the nursing administration team.
• Processes forms and miscellaneous documents as necessary.

Required

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education & Experience – Graduation from an accredited school of nursing; AND Possession of licensure as a Registered Nurse issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; AND Completion of the 23 modules of the CDC Infection Prevention Training preferred; AND Three (3) years of practical nursing experience, with an emphasis on infection control procedures preferred.

All employees of Gracedale Nursing Home will be required to attend Feeding Program training.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of Federal and State infection control requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of professional nursing principles, practices and standards.
• Knowledge of quality improvement process and data analysis.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques used in medical care documentation.
• Knowledge of nursing methods and techniques commonly employed in clinics and/or outpatient medical offices.
• Ability to identify the presence, track the course, and recommend corrective action to ameliorate the effect of infections on the facility.
• Ability to monitor patients' records, maintain relevant documentation, and issue required reports and notifications.
• Ability to assess extent of medical condition and/or need for medical care on the part of those with conflicting motivations.
• Ability to operate a personal computer and secure information from established data processing, spreadsheet, word processing, database and graphics programs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with medical and nursing staff administrative personnel, associates, volunteers, representatives from community groups and other agencies, and patients and their family members.
• Ability to work with teams, staff administration to ensure good clinical outcomes and best practices.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate in English to perform the duties of this position.

Tools and Equipment:
Telephone, scheduling charts and blood pressure equipment, thermometers, patient record charts, syringe needles, blood glucose meter, surgical instruments, stethoscope, oxygen equipment, suction equipment,…