Infection Prevention Nurse

Duties and Responsibilities 

Plan, develop, implement, evaluate and oversee the infection prevention and control program in
accordance with current regulations and guidelines governing skilled nursing facilities. √ SB
Ensure that the facility is in compliance with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and local regulations concerning
infection prevention and control.
Monitor and ensure that all nursing services personnel follow established infection prevention and
control practices and aseptic techniques when caring for residents. 
Establish and maintain an infection surveillance program that is based on standardized definitions of
infections. 
Establish, implement and monitor data collection tools for process and outcome surveillance. 
Assist the Director of Environmental Services in developing and implementing guidelines for
environmental cleaning and disinfection. 
Assist the Laundry Supervisor in developing infection prevention and control procedures for the
handling of clean and soiled laundry/linen, equipment cleaning, etc. 
Review, summarize and report data relative to key infection prevention and control initiatives
including antibiotic stewardship, healthcare acquired infections, immunization programs and
outbreaks.
Conduct special investigations pertaining to new or significant trends in infections or communicable
diseases. 
Present findings from special investigations and make recommendations to the Infection Prevention
and Control Committee. 
Assist the Director of Nursing in preparing the budget for infection prevention and control programs
and activities. 
Assist all departments in evaluating and classifying routine and job-related functions to ensure that
tasks involving exposure to blood/body fluids are properly identified.

(1) Potential Risk Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids (√ = yes)
(2) Essential Function (√ = yes)
(3) Safety Factors:
RM = Repetitive motion
WL = Weight lifting requirement
SB = Sitting, standing and bending prolonged

Participate in the annual facility assessment.
Perform administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies,
charting, etc., as necessary.
Verify that laboratory support is available including microbiological and serological services. 
Maintain a reference library of infection prevention and control resources. 
Assist in developing and implementing waste disposal policies and procedures for infectious waste,
supplies, etc.
Interpret infection prevention and control policies and procedures as necessary. 
Review, modify and interpret infection prevention and control policies and procedures as necessary. 
Report all reportable diseases to the county and state health departments. 
Develop and implement procedures that ensure infection prevention and control supplies are used in
an efficient manner to avoid waste. 
Ensure that adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) are on hand and readily
available to personnel who perform procedures that involve exposure to blood or body fluids. 
Monitor the designated shelf life of sterilized and packaged supplies; reprocess as necessary.
Recommend to the Director of Nursing the equipment and supply needs for the infection prevention
and control program and its activities.
Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies as necessary or
as directed.

Serve on, participate in and attend Infection Prevention and Control Committee, Quality Assurance
and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Committee and interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings as
requested or indicated.
Implement recommendations from the Infection Prevention and Control Committee.

Assist with discharge plans for the resident on transmission-based precautions. 
Help review potential resident admissions to determine if their needs can be met adequately by the
facility. 
Educate residents and family members on standard and transmission-based precautions.
Assist and oversee the tracking, administering and recordkeeping of required employee
immunizations and recommended resident immunizations. 
Order inventories of vaccines to be administered to staff and residents in a timely manner.

Oversee annual education for residents and families about influenza and pneumococcal
immunizations. 
Review and analyze infectious disease laboratory reports and consult with the Director of Nursing in
developing the care plan for assuring that aseptic techniques are implemented. 
Initiate transmission-based precautions for residents with communicable infections.
Assist nursing services personnel in performing nursing care procedures as necessary. 
Make rounds with physicians and other healthcare practitioners as necessary.

Education
□ Must possess, as a minimum, a nursing degree from an accredited school of nursing.

Experience
□ Must have, as a minimum, 1 (one) year clinical experience in a hospital, nursing care facility or other related
healthcare facility.
□ Must possess a working knowledge of epidemiology, microbiology, infectious diseases and aseptic technique to
include standard and transmission-based precautions.
□ APIC Certification in infection prevention and control