Infection Preventionist

Job Description

Job Description : \n\nInfection Preventionist License / Certification : RN or LPN (Required) Position Description and Purpose : The Infection Preventionist is a key person on the Infection prevention team and in most cases is designated as the person having responsibility for the Infection Prevention and Control program. The Infection Preventionist is responsible for dissemination of infection prevention information, including surveillance data and policy decisions. The Infection Preventionist comes from a nursing background but may come from other disciplines including but not limited to medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology, or other related field. The Infection Preventionist has a working familiarity of the position description and will make recommendations to the Administrator and the facility’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement team for revisions as the position responsibilities and information evolves. The Infection Preventionist is responsible for the effective direction, management and operation of the infection prevention program including education of facility staff members and independent practitioners and consulting with County and State Department of Health and Environment. The Infection Preventionist utilizes evidence-based practices such as those published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Additionally, the Infection Preventionist ensures compliance with regulations and requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other accrediting healthcare organizations and State regulatory agencies. The Infection Preventionist 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 Infection Preventionist systematically collects, analyzes and interprets health data in order to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate appropriate public health practices. The Infection Preventionist conducts educational and training activities for facility staff members through instruction and dissemination of information on healthcare practices. Delegation of Authority The Infection Preventionist is delegated the administrative authority and accountability necessary for carrying out any and all assigned duties which are consistent with the scope of practice including but not limited to the Nurse Practice Act of the State of Kansas Board of Nursing or the licensing or credentialing board of the person assigned to this position. Supervision : The Infection Preventionist is under the direct supervision of the facility’s Director of Nursing and / or the Administrator. Qualifications and Position Requirements : Must possess current, unencumbered, active licensure in an applied clinical science including but not limited to : Nursing, Medical Technology, Microbiology, Epidemiology, or other related field or other appropriate educational degreeMust possess current professional licensure in State if appropriate to primary disciplineMust work in the facility for substantial time to complete with Infection Prevention dutiesMust possess current, specialized training and certification in Infection Control (CIC) in approved courseMust participate in the facility’s Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) Committee and report on a regular basisMust possess previous experience in teaching, curriculum development, and instruction is desiredMust provide documentation of attendance at face-to-face and / or completion of educational offeringsMust possess excellent leadership skillsMust respect for principles of resident rights, confidentiality, EEO, and ADAMust possess ability to read, write, speak, and understand the English languageMust possess proficiency in computer and software skillsMust possess ability to write reports and other forms of correspondenceMust possess ability to present verbal and / or written information and respond to the most sensitive inquiries or complaintsMust possess ability to apply mathematical concepts such as fractions, percentages, rates and proportions to practical situationsMust possess ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical tools for analysis and problem solvingMust possess ability to create and interpret various charges and graphs to present in an understandable formatMust possess ability to reason, define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw conclusionsMust possess ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, schematic, and schedule formMust possess ability to apply principles of logical and / or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problemsMust possess ability to interpret nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs)Must possess ability to use information management systems for : Data entry and retrievalData collection and organizationData analysis and evaluationRequired reportingIntegration of diverse sources of dataMust possess ability to interpret State Health Standards, CMS Condition of Participation, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards, information on CDC website, and medical / legal concepts related to healthcare dataMust possess ability to complete data entry into the National Health Safety Network (NHSN) in a timely basisMust possess the ability to apply knowledge and skills related to quality improvement tools and techniques, including statistical process controlMust possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such actionMust possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies / personnel, and the general publicMust be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines that pertain to long-term careMust possess leadership and supervisory ability and the willingness to work harmoniously with professional and non-professional personnelMust possess the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies and procedures, etc., that are necessary for providing quality careMust have patience, tact, a cheerful disposition and enthusiasm, as well as the willingness to handle difficult residentsMust be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing nursing practicesMust be able to relate information concerning an resident’s conditionMust not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace Other Training, Skills and Experience Recommendations : Computer skills, knowledge of medical terminology, dementia trainingOn-the-job training and on-going education will be provided Responsibilities : Implements and reviews facility’s Infection Prevention ProgramEnsures that existing standards and guidelines of applicable professional organizations and regulatory and governmental agencies are incorporated into the programReviews relevant public health issues to integrate into practiceServes as a consultant and resource person related to infection prevention issues for all facility personnelCollaborates with other healthcare professionals within and outside the facilityImplements infection prevention education programsSystematically collects and analyzes healthcare-associated infection data using epidemiological principles and statistical methods to identify trends and risk factorsResponsible to perform reporting of HAI and quality data to various local, County, State, and Federal reporting requirementsEnsure the principles of Antibiotic Stewardship are consistently and appropriately educated and followed including education and practice with local practitioners and physician extenders, facility staff members, residents and family membersIncorporates the principles of fiscal responsibility into practice and promotes the standards of advanced professional practiceActively participates in the facility’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement ProgramEstablishes, implements and administers infection prevention program goals, objectives, policies and proceduresConducts ongoing review of facility policies, procedures, and guidelines to identify infection prevention discrepancies and implements revisions as necessaryEnsures that the infection prevention program goals are compatible with and enhance the facility’s mission, vision, values and strategic planProvides information to facility committees and department managers to formulate changes in the policies, procedures, and / or processes which could reduce the spread of infectionInteracts with medical and nursing staff, department managers, supervisors, and employee health employees and other professional / non-professional staff members to provide resource information, resolve infection prevention and control issues, and identify new opportunities to improve services and reduce costWorks with department managers to apply effective polices and procedures for the departments and facility that ensures compliance with OSHA, CDC, CMS and other Local, County, State, and Federal regulatory and / or accrediting agenciesDevelops reports and statistical data for the IPC, medical staff, Medical Director, and the facility’s administration as well as other committees as neededDevelops and coordinates the Infection Prevention program throughout the facilityImplements the program by formulating, establishing and evaluating policies and procedures related to resident care infection prevention measures throughout the facilityPerforms an annual risk assessment and develops action plans from the prior year’s activities which may include development of a dashboard to maintain monthly dataMakes recommendations related to construction and renovation projects and participation in all Infection Control Risk Assessment activities and environmental rounds including assuring compliance with national and / or professional standardsWorks with employee health in monitoring work-related exposuresDevelops and updates the Blood-Borne Pathogens Exposure Control PlanReviews the components of the facility’s infection prevention and control program to include : Policies and proceduresProgram oversightSurveillance activities Process surveillanceOutcome surveillanceAntibiotics included in facility’s formularyAntibiogram review of facility’s resistant pattern over timeLaboratory processes including the minimum inhibitory concentrationConducts outbreak investigations which includes knowing what constitutes an outbreakReviews the State’s Department of Health’s Reportable Disease and Conditions requirements and ensures those requirements are metDocumentation and Reporting On a monthly basis, the Infection Preventionist will : Update a log of all HAIsReview all laboratory results including Multi-drug-resistant-organisms (MDRO)Data entry into NHSN reporting system according to facility’s reporting plan Surgical site infectionsMDROsCAUTI (Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection)Clostridium difficile infection (facility-wide)CLABSI (Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infection)Data entry into NHSH reporting system related to employee influenza vaccination statusCompliance with hand hygiene and precaution policies including review with clinical department managersEnsure all communicable diseases are reported to appropriate County and State health department personnelReport all pertinent data to assigned committeesReview national data for HAIs, review facility’s data and develop goals for reduction of HAIsEnsure all residents admitted to facility have been presented the opportunity to receive or refuse to receive current Influenza and Pneumococcal immunizationsEnsure all current residents of facility receive ongoing immunizations as recommended by CDCLog and track all immunization data and present to ICC and QAPI teamData analysis of : Number of infection per residents at riskFrequency of infections over timeHAI rates and graphs from data output in NHSNDevelops strategies regarding program development / implementation and how IP oversight will emphasize prevention and management of HAIsReviews facility’s tuberculosis screening program, management of exposure and ensures follow up on cases consistent with State requirementsReviews food safety policies and procedures in conjunction with dietary managerReviews facility’s pest control programReviews facility’s hazardous waste disposal program Essential Functions (with or without reasonable accommodations) : The duties and responsibilities included under the essential functions listing have been determined by management to be essential to the successful performance of this position. However, this listing may not be inclusive of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required. The omission or exclusion of duties and responsibilities from this description does not infer that the designated employee will not be required to perform additional job-specific duties if the work is similar, related or becomes an essential function of this position.Conducts rounds on a daily basis and performs and documents random audits of compliance with all Infection Prevention and Control policies and proceduresDiscusses and monitors infection prevention practices with staff membersCollects infection data from departmentsMaintains records for each case of healthcare-associated infectionConducts outbreak investigationTrains staff members on implementation of infection prevention practicesInvestigates incidents of infectionsReports incidents to appropriate person / departmentEnsures availability of supplies required for infection prevention activitiesMakes recommendations related to prevention and control of infection on a 24-hour basisProvides advice for all staff members related to management of infectious resident and other infection prevention issuesCoordinates annual infection control risk assessment in conjunction with the Infection Prevention Committee (IPC)Develops and implements annual infection prevention plan in conjunction with the Infection Control CommitteeEvaluates the annual plan for goal achievement in injunction with the IPCEvaluates the annual plan for goal achievement in conjunction with the IPCConducts surveillance of infectionsEnsures the completion of audits related to the implementation of and compliance with selected policiesProvides education and training and ensure competencies for all staff members and independent practitioners related to Infection Prevention and Control and Antibiotic StewardshipActs as or coordinates with the Employee Health Nurse related to relevant staff member health issuesLiaise with clinical teams related to the development of standards, audits, and research in the facilityPresents and / or provides the infection control annual report to the IPC and the QAPI Steering Committee, the CEO / Administrator and Board of Governance Report to incl