What are the responsibilities and job description for the Infection Preventionist position at Shore Pointe Care Center?
An infection preventionist (IP) is a healthcare professional responsible for monitoring and preventing the spread of infections within a healthcare facility by actively surveilling infection rates, educating staff on proper hygiene practices, developing and enforcing infection control policies, investigating outbreaks, and collaborating within healthcare teams to minimize the risk of healthcare-associated infections.
Key responsibilities of an infection preventionist:
Infection surveillance:
Regularly collect and analyze data on infection rates across the facility to identify trends and potential outbreaks.Data analysis and reporting:
Interpret infection data, generate reports for leadership, and present findings to relevant stakeholders.
Policy development and implementation:
Create and update infection control policies and procedures based on current guidelines and best practices.
Staff education and training:
Conduct training sessions for healthcare workers on proper hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and standard precautions to prevent infection transmission.
Outbreak investigation:
Investigate suspected outbreaks of infections, including contact tracing, environmental sampling, and implementing containment measures.
Patient placement:
Assess patient infection risks and make appropriate patient placement decisions to minimize cross-contamination.
Environmental monitoring:
Monitor the cleanliness of healthcare environments and ensure proper disinfection practices are followed.
Antimicrobial stewardship:
Collaborate with clinicians to promote appropriate antibiotic use and combat antimicrobial resistance.
Compliance monitoring:
Ensure adherence to infection control guidelines and regulatory requirements.
Consultation and collaboration:
Provide expert advice to healthcare teams on infection prevention practices and respond to infection-related concerns.
