What are the responsibilities and job description for the INFECTION PREVENTIONIST position at AHMC Healthcare?
Overview
This position as infection preventionist is aimed to strengthen an established Quality Department at AHMC-Seton Medical Center. A new infection preventionist will be expected to lead the infection prevention branch of the Quality Department.
The infection preventionist will be working closely with the Director of Quality, the Infectious Diseases Medical Director, and pharmacy leads of the antimicrobial stewardship program. This position requires complete involvement in the infection prevention program including ongoing active surveillance of trends at the hospital, recognition of areas of improvement and formulation of action plans to improve the quality of the program.
The infection preventionist will be positioned in direct interaction and partnering with administrative and physician leaders to accomplish the department goals at the hospital. The position is tailored for a detailed-oriented, dedicated person to thrive in an acute hospital setting while strengthening their skills in quality improvement at an organization level. Involvement in post-acute services infection prevention activities is also available if interested.
Responsibilities
The IP is responsible for the facility’s activities aimed at preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by ensuring that sources of infections are isolated to limit the spread of infectious organisms. The IP systematically collects, analyzes, and interprets health data in order to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate appropriate public health practices. The IP conducts educational and training activities for healthcare workers through instruction and dissemination of information on healthcare practices.
The IP also reviews the facility’s annual Infection Prevention Program. The IP ensures that existing standards and guidelines of applicable professional organizations and regulatory and governmental agencies are incorporated into the program. Additionally, the IP performs the reporting of HAI and quality data for the various facility, county, state, and federal reporting requirements.
The IP conducts rounds, discusses and monitors infection prevention practices with staff members, collects infection data from departments, maintains records for each case of healthcare- associated infection, conducts outbreak investigation, trains staff members on implementation of infection prevention practices, investigates incidents of infections and reports such incidents to the appropriate person/department, and ensures availability of supplies required for infection prevention activities.
Other duties also includes:
Coordinating the annual infection control risk assessment in conjunction with the Infection Prevention Committee (IPC), developing and implementing the annual infection prevention plan, evaluating the annual plan for goal achievement in conjunction with the IPC, conducting clinical surveillance, ensuring the completion of audits regarding the implementation of and compliance with selected policies, providing recommendations related to Environmental of Care issues that could affect the success of the IP program. Liaise with the Employee Health Nurse regarding relevant staff member health issues
Skills and Knowledge
- Self-motivated and independent worker
- Comfortable with teaching, guiding and mentoring peers
- Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
Qualifications
Bachelor's in science, health care, or related field. Required
Master's in science, health care, or related field. Preferred
CA Registered Nurse - RN Preferred
Certified Infection Control - CIC Within 1 year of employment
Experience
- Minimum one year of experience in a healthcare setting. Required.
- At least one year of experience in infection prevention, public health, or epidemiology. Preferred
Hospital Description
AHMC- Seton Medical Center has a long tradition of providing patient-centered, quality care and a commitment to clinical excellence and our community. Founded in 1893, the 186-bed medical center now serves 1.5 million residents of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County with comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical specialties, as well as emergency and urgent care services. Its sister facility, Seton Coastside, is a 116-bed skilled nursing complex offering inpatient care and the only 24-hour standby Emergency Department on the Pacific Coast between Daly City and Santa Cruz. We pride ourselves on improving the health and well-being of our patients, community, and populations, we serve with high quality community partnerships, and continuous innovation to our health care delivery system.
