Infection Preventionist - Pediatric Quality Department

A Brief Overview

The Infection Preventionist is responsible for the facility infection prevention and control program, designed to provide a safe environment for staff, patients, and visitors, by preventing the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections.

What You Will Do

• Perform infection surveillance, analysis, interpretation, validation, and reporting of hospital acquired infections (HAI) per the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) and hospital requirements, and infectious diseases as required by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH)
• Maintain knowledge of current National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions, regulatory guidelines, and infectio best practices
• In collaboration with hospital leaders and IC Medical Director, establish an infection prevention program and oversee and hospital Infection Control Committee, annual Infection Control Risk Assessment, and Infection Prevention and Control Plan
• Investigate possible infectious disease outbreaks among staff and/or patients, or increases in HAI and assist in tracking, analysis, and remediation or process improvement plans
• Assure compliance with policies and procedures in accordance with DNV, OSHA, CMS, ODH, and CDC standards, requirements and recommendations. Lead or assist with Infection Prevention DNV survey tracer sessions
• Identify possible infectious disease exposure investigations and follow up for staff and patients, which may occur outside normal work hours
• Independently complete infection control risk assessments and participate in all stages of construction and facility projects
• Conduct education and ongoing in-service programs for members of the healthcare and ancillary teams
• Serve as a resource for the Employee Health program working collaboratively to review and investigate potential employee Infection Control issues and maintain compliance with federal, state and local requirements
• Provide on-call coverage per department requirements
• Active membership in APIC

Additional Responsibilities

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.
• For specific duties and responsibilities, refer to documentation provided by the department during orientation.
• Must abide by all requirements to safely and securely maintain Protected Health Information (PHI) for our patients. Annual training, the UH Code of Conduct and UH policies and procedures are in place to address appropriate use of PHI in the workplace.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in nursing, microbiology, medical technology or other healthcare related field (Required)

Work Experience

• 3+ years of experience in acute care nursing, infection prevention or medical technology or closely related field (Required)

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Applicable skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint. (Required proficiency)
• Knowledge of microbiology, DNV, CMS, NHSN, ICRA, ODH (Required proficiency)
• Demonstrated strong writing, public speaking and interpersonal communication skills (Required proficiency)
• Strong organizational and time management skills and attention to detail (Required proficiency)
• Sincere desire to learn and be involved in the vast scope of infection control activities including isolation techniques, sterilization and disinfection, construction and education. (Required proficiency)
• Strong communication, clinical assessment and computer skills (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other related programs) (Required proficiency)

Licenses and Certifications

• Registered Nurse (RN) in the State of Ohio (Preferred)
• Certification Board of Infection Control within 2 Years (Preferred)

Physical Demands

• Standing Frequently
• Walking Frequently
• Sitting Rarely
• Lifting Frequently 50 lbs
• Carrying Frequently 50 lbs
• Pushing Frequently 50 lbs
• Pulling Frequently 50 lbs
• Climbing Occasionally 50 lbs
• Balancing Occasionally
• Stooping Frequently
• Kneeling Frequently
• Crouching Frequently
• Crawling Occasionally
• Reaching Frequently
• Handling Frequently
• Grasping Frequently
• Feeling Constantly
• Talking Constantly
• Hearing Constantly
• Repetitive Motions Constantly
• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination Constantly

Travel Requirements

• 10%