Infection Preventionist - Infection Prevention (Days)

The Infection Preventionist will work directly with the Infection Prevention Leadership and the team of Infection Preventionists as well as clinical team. Responsibilities in this role will include: Assisting with the day to day activities of the System Infection Prevention Department. Utilizing epidemiologic tools to identify patients and personnel at risk of infection, clustering or outbreaks of infections, variation in the levels of Healthcare Acquired Infections, or single cases of unusual infections. Developing and monitoring of activities related performance improvement to include but not limited to surveillance for healthcare acquired infections, reportable diseases, employee occupational health and safety. Assisting in designing collection, analyzing and presentation of data. Promotes compliance with regulations, evidence-based guidelines and accreditation requirements. Serve as an Infection Prevention consultant for construction and design projects throughout the hospital system. Works with clinical teams to identify infection prevention needs of patients and give guidance in specific cases as to best practice.


Education
Bachelor's Degree

Experience
No experience required. Requires working knowledge of specialized practices, equipment, and procedures.

Qualifications
*Certified in Infection Control (CIC) highly preferred
*Computer literacy with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software required. Prefer experience with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
*Current Georgia RN license preferred
*Two years Clinical or Infectious Prevention or hospital based work history experience is preferred.

Area of Responsibilities
*Communication: Communicates via the chain of command. Plans, develops, and initiates Infection Prevention educational programs using the principles of adult learning and serves as a resource for all departments and personnel. Presents a confident, articulate, and well-organized delivery when instructing, educating, and presenting Infection Prevention information. Serves as an active participant in performance improvement initiatives for Tanner Health System. Communicates professionally and appropriately with staff, patients and their family members. Remains diplomatic and objective when dealing with sensitive issues, encourages and fosters an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect, and demonstrates respect for age, culture, sex, and socioeconomic differences amongst people. Compiles reports and official correspondence as needed by the department meeting short suspense dates as necessary.
*Job Knowledge: Performs targeted and visual surveillance activities to identify healthcare acquired infections, outbreaks, and environmental hazards applying Infection Prevention Committee approved criteria in accordance with established policies and procedures, most current guidelines, and regulatory requirements. Assesses for compliance with evidence-based IP practices and policies and procedures. Aggregates, analyzes, and reports infection prevention data both internally and externally through organization chain of command and reporting mechanisms. Acts as a primary education consultant to hospital employees, physicians, visitors, and patients.
*Judgement and Decisions: Identifies, initiates, and investigates healthcare acquired occurrences using appropriate and current guidelines and recommendations. Identifies and manages outbreak situations using CDC guidelines for management offering appropriate prevention and control measures and ensuring notification of appropriate personnel using the chain of command. Addresses all consultant requests in a timely manner referring to and providing support documents and/or references as needed.
*Leadership Skills: Serves as a principle member of the Infection Prevention Committee reporting Healthcare Acquired Infections, trends, and recommendations for improvement. Interprets and assures compliance with JC, CMS, OSHA, NPSG's, and other regulatory requirements, CDC guidelines, and makes recommendations for improvements where indicated. Participates in the annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the IP Program and assists in the risk assessment, action planning and goals for the IP Program for the succeeding year. Develops schedules for accomplishing program and departmental requirements while adapting readily to all situations, requiring fluctuation and changes in priorities.
*Professional Qualities: Complies with corporate/facility professional requirements, personnel standards and policies at all times. Maintains professional competence through participation in continuing education and other learning experiences. Attains and maintains credible consultant status through completion of national board certification in Infection Control (CIC).

Compliance Statement
Employee performs within the prescribed limits of Tanner Health System's Ethics and Compliance program. Is responsible to detect, observe, and report compliance variances to their immediate supervisor, the Compliance Officer, or the Hotline.

Education
Associate Degree or 2 years of college coursework

Experience
No experience required. Requires working knowledge of specialized practices, equipment, and procedures.

Qualifications
*Certified in Infection Control (CIC) highly preferred
*Computer literacy with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software required. Prefer experience with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
*Current Georgia RN license preferred
*Two years Clinical or Infectious Prevention or hospital based work history experience is preferred.

Licenses & Certifications
*NONE REQUIRED

Supervision
*Has no authority over personnel but must be able to function as a member of an integrated team.
*Staff position which assists leadership performing an advisory function in providing service to line supervisors.


Definitions
*The Infection Preventionist will work directly with the Infection Prevention Leadership and the team of Infection Preventionists as well as clinical team. Responsibilities in this role will include: Assisting with the day to day activities of the System Infection Prevention Department. Utilizing epidemiologic tools to identify patients and personnel at risk of infection, clustering or outbreaks of infections, variation in the levels of Healthcare Acquired Infections, or single cases of unusual infections. Developing and monitoring of activities related performance improvement to include but not limited to surveillance for healthcare acquired infections, reportable diseases, employee occupational health and safety. Assisting in designing collection, analyzing and presentation of data. Promotes compliance with regulations, evidence-based guidelines and accreditation requirements. Serve as an Infection Prevention consultant for construction and design projects throughout the hospital system. Works with clinical teams to identify infection prevention needs of patients and give guidance in specific cases as to best practice.

Contact With Others
Frequent contacts of a significant nature involving difficult negotiations and technical matters requiring thorough knowledge of organization policies or treatment, plus an ability to understand, communicate with, and to lead, and influence others to obtain willing acceptance, consent, or action. Requires a high degree of diplomacy.

Effect Of Error
Probable errors in information developed independently which may involve continuing adverse effect on the overall operation and major functions of the organization and a substantial loss of organization funds, organization effectiveness, and public image. Work is not generally subject to check. Full and complete access to highly restricted objectives, plans, and programs.

Supervisory Responsibility
Staff position which affects the caliber of supervision throughout the organization by advising line supervisors on one or more aspects of their responsibility for jobs and people.

Mental Demands
Work involves a variety of complex problems to be solved under general organization policies. Ingenuity and judgment are required to review facts, plan work, estimate costs, and deal with factors not easily evaluated, interpret results, draw conclusions, and take or recommend action. Solutions to problems often require coordination with other departments.


Physical Effort
Minor physical effort - Job requires person to stand and/or walk frequently. Lifts, carries, or uses lightweight (1 to 25 lbs.) materials or equipment less than half of the day. Works in reaching or strained position intermittently. Office or laboratory work requires close visual effort less than half of day. Office or Laboratory work with concentration on a monotonous, repetitious procedure or skill most of day, where speed and accuracy are essential.

Working Conditions
Minor - Occasionally involved in exposure to dirt, odors, noise, or some work is performed with exposure to temperature/weather extremes/occupational risk and probability of coming into contact with blood borne pathogens, other potentially infectious diseases, or biomedical/bio-hazardous materials.

Physical Aspects

Continually (at least once per day)
*Hearing
*Visual

Frequently (at least 3 times a week)
*Bending
*Typing
*Manual Dexterity -- pinching with fingers, etc.
*Feeling (Touch) -- determining temperature, texture, by touching
*Reaching -- above shoulder
*Reaching -- below shoulder
*Color Vision
*Speaking
*Standing
*Balancing
*Walking
*Handling -- seizing, holding, grasping
*Carrying

Occasionally (at least once a month)
*Crawling
*Running - In response To an emergency
*Lifting up To 25 lbs.
*Lifting 25 To 60 lbs.
*Lifting over 60 lbs.
*Climbing
*Kneeling
*Squatting
*Smelling
*N95 Respirator usage (PPE)
*Pushing/Pulling -- up To 25 lbs.
*Pushing/Pulling -- 25 To 60 lbs.
*Pushing/Pulling -- over 60 lbs.