JOBPURPOSE:

The Healthcare Center Infection Preventionist is responsible for the development, direction, implementation, management and operation of the infection prevention in the healthcare center. The healthcare center Infection Preventionist conducts ongoing staff development, training and quality assurance performance improvement monitoring to insure adherence with the organizational standards, CDC, and the county and state health departments. The responsibilities encompass compliance with Joint Commission (JC) standards, CMS, OSHA, and state regulations, outbreak investigation, and overall direction of the infection prevention and control program.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Infection Prevention

a. Acts as subject matter expert and resource within the healthcare center to residents/families, partners, providers, visitors, community, and public health regarding infection prevention and control measures, including identification of infectious disease processes.

b. Provides consultation and expertise to partners and residents in infection prevention and control practices as it relates to the transmission of infectious disease, management of isolation of patients, PPE usage, safe infection practices, disinfection, environmental

cleaning, facilities management (maintenance, renovation and construction), water management, and evaluation of new products.

c. Assesses the immunization status of residents and partners, administers vaccines, and educates residents and partners about immunizations.

d. Completes necessary physical assessment and health history of resident and partners according to TB program guidelines.

e. Provides counseling and education about laboratory testing, follow-up x-rays, physical examination and therapy for TB prevention and disease.

f. Refers residents and partners for follow-up to outside agencies for continuity in care for any suspected or confirmed infectious disease process.

g. Maintains current knowledge with CMS, state and federal regulatory agencies and public health guidelines as it relates to infection prevention.

h. Reviews the risk of blood borne pathogens, OSHA standards, and exposure control plan to ensure implementation of best practice for occupational health to decrease the likelihood of exposures to infectious diseases.

i. Reviews the infection prevention and control policies and procedures annually and conducts formal partner training on updates and new regulations.

j. Develops, implements and evaluates infection prevention and control goals, measurable objectives and action plans for the healthcare center infection prevention and control program.

k. Provides expert knowledge, guidance, and perform routine risk assessments in infection prevention and control in consultation and collaboration with infection control committee teams as appropriate.

l. Participates and supports infection prevention initiatives on center, region and division levels to insure our infection prevention program and processes are utilizing best practice approaches.

m. Maintains records and reports in accordance to organization standards, including documentation in electronic health records, reports, etc.

n. Provides ongoing infection prevention and control findings, recommendations, annual reports, policy and procedure updates to the QAPI committee.

AntibioticStewardship Program

a. Develops and evaluates goals, measurable objectives and action plans for the HCC antibiotic stewardship program.

b. Improves the therapeutic use of antimicrobials through education of clinicians and prescribers, guidelines and data reporting,

c. Collaborates with pharmacy services to identify and facilitate plans of correction using evidence-based practice interventions for improvements in the antibiotic stewardship program.

d. Provides ongoing reports to the QAPI committee of compliance updates.

Surveillance andCompliance

a. Conducts ongoing healthcare wide surveillance of healthcare associated infections through collection, review, analysis and interpretation of data from various sources, (i.e., hand hygiene, occupational exposure incidents, etc.).

b. Tracks and trends surveillance to identify opportunities for improvement based on data analysis including activities to decrease healthcare associated infections and improve resident outcomes related to identified infection control deficiencies.

MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED:

· Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), OR professional training in medical technology, OR professional training in microbiology, OR professional training in epidemiology, OR other related training.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

· Have a minimum of three years of clinical experience in an acute care or long-term care setting or disease surveillance in public health.

· Previous experience in teaching and curriculum development in clinical instruction.

MINIMUM LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY LAW:

· Hold a current, unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse (RN).

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: (Additional qualifications)

· All infection preventionist are required to complete specialized training in Infection Prevention and Control by either CDC Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Web-based Training Course and/or University of North Carolina Spice Training as a condition of continued employment within three (3) months of employment.