Infection Prevention Specialist II - Full time - Detroit

Infection Prevention Specialist II

Under minimal supervision, but according to established policies and procedures, assesses, evaluates, and provides for the needs of the professional staff in the areas of infectious disease and infection prevention and control practices. Conducts a robust surveillance program for nosocomial infection according to internal thresholds, external benchmarks when available, and as required by law. Utilizes effective methodologies to improve performance and practice, thereby reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Provides education to the multidisciplinary team and community as appropriate.

The Infection Prevention Specialist II (IPS II) position is an advanced level position. In addition to the required competencies of the IPS I (consultant, educator, surveillance), the IPS II can perform complex project work with interdisciplinary groups that include senior administrators, nursing, and medical leaders. This work is done independently with minimal supervision from their immediate manager/director.

The IPS II leads or co-leads multi-disciplinary teams, guides implementation plans and acts as a consultant or facilitator on infection prevention issues including outbreak investigations, proactive infection prevention strategies, complex cases reviews, etc. The IPS II designs and delivers educational programs to assist employees, physicians, and leadership to meet infection prevention and control, safety, regulatory, and quality goals.

This role requires advanced data analytic skills, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Office products, and demonstrated expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments across multiple facilities. The ideal candidate will bring a strategic approach to implementing standardized, evidence-based practices across the health system to help reduce hospital-associated infections. This role requires flexibility in scheduling, including occasional weekend work as needed, as well as the ability to travel between system sites. The successful candidate will have extensive knowledge of Epic, provide coverage for other system-level Infection Prevention Specialist as needed and serve as an educational resource for IPS teams across the system by leading training and development sessions when appropriate.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management:

• Uses evidenced based best practice(s) and/or infection prevention and control/safety/regulatory standards to independently assess project needs
• Guides the selection of appropriate team members to address project needs
• Guides and/or develops a work plan including timelines and measurable goals
• Ensures teams are organized through meeting agendas and a method to document goals, responsibility, and progress
• Demonstrates the ability to develop an effective communication plan (including education if appropriate)
• Seeks leadership guidance appropriately to assist with the identification of obstacles/barriers to success
• Maintains project documents

Education and Information Exchange:

• Designs and delivers formal and informal education to all members of the health care team and support staff, external customers (including students), administrative staff on patient safety and clinical process improvement, performance measurement and management, change management, sustain and spread methodologies, and other key subjects critical to the support of infection prevention and control, patient safety and clinical performance improvement including external regulatory and quality agencies
• Provides informal training, as well as formal training classes for healthcare workers, defining infectious diseases and infection prevention and control practices, demonstrating and/or presenting proper aseptic and isolation procedures and reinforcing the need for continued high standards of infection prevention and control and follow-up
• Interpret data for customers including leadership
• Demonstrates the ability to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making using information technology
• Interacts and communicates with assigned clinical areas, committees, and designated individuals to coordinate and integrate components of the infection prevention and control program

Collaborative Work:

• Independently conducts site visits/risk assessments in collaboration with construction teams, and or management, to ensure compliance with all applicable requirements
• Collaborates with Employee health related to infection prevention and control concerns; reports communicable diseases as required by law and according to hospital procedure
• Collaborates with other departments (e.g., nursing, volunteers, EVS, etc.) as needed

Patient Safety Work:

• Using surveillance and other data, monitors plans and implements strategies to improve patient care
• Makes regular rounds of patient care and treatment areas to observe clinical practices, uses techniques of epidemiological and infection prevention and control practices to measure infection risks of assigned areas to patients, employees, and visitors
• Notifies and communicates with appropriate stakeholders regarding patients and/or personnel exposed to infectious or communicable diseases
• Identifies and reports significant clinical practices that can adversely affect patient outcomes or employee safety
• Utilizing the PDCA (model for improvement) or other performance improvement tools, serves as a resource person to nursing and other professional personnel on infectious diseases and infection control related matters, identifying educational needs, techniques, etc. to improve the quality of care and reduce the risks of infection to other patients and personnel
• Participates in epidemiological and special investigations and research projects, investigates the application of equipment to be used in Infection prevention and control and participates in developing techniques relative to the use of such.

Miscellaneous:

• Advances knowledge by attending workshops, lectures, seminars, and educational conferences
• Assumes additional responsibilities and performs other duties as assigned

Education/Experience Required:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing or other health related field required.
• Master's Degree in Nursing, Public Health, or related field preferred.
• Graduate coursework in statistics, clinical microbiology, epidemiology and infection prevention and control preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in healthcare required preferably in a hospital or ambulatory setting required.
• Experience in leading complex change and project management working with the multidisciplinary health care team; senior leadership.
• A professional level of knowledge of disease processes, transmission methods of infectious diseases, clinical bacteriology, clinical care practices as they relate to the planning and implementing nursing care plans preferred.
• Basic computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint), and electronic health records.
• Basic proficiency in medical terminology and a clear understanding of medical confidentiality.

Certifications/Licensures Required:

• A State of Michigan RN license if applicant is a nurse.
• Certification in Infection Control (CIC).

Must meet or exceed core customer service responsibilities, standards and behaviors as outlined in the HFHS' Customer Service Policy

Must practice the customer skills as provided through on-going training and in-services.

Working conditions are varied. Exposure to patient care environments when making surveillance rounds and to a normal office environment (with minimal exposure to noise, dust, or extreme temperatures) when evaluating and analyzing data.