Infection Preventionist

Infection Preventionist

The Wound Nurse/Infection Preventionist is responsible for providing primary skin care to residents under the medical direction and supervisor of the residents' attending physician, the Director of Nursing, or the Medical Director of the facility, with an emphasis on treatment and therapy of skin disorders. Responsible for conducting rounds, discusses and monitors infection prevention practices with staff members, collects infection data from departments, maintains records for each case of healthcare-associated infection, conducts outbreak investigation, trains staff members on implementation of infection prevention practices, investigates incidents of infections and reports such incidents to the appropriate person/department, and ensures availability of supplies required for infection prevention activities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Confer with the Director of Nursing and/or other licensed nursing personnel regarding the dermatologic disorders of residents in the facility
• Examine the resident and his/her records and charts, and discriminate between normal and abnormal findings, in order to recognize when to refer the resident to a physician for evaluation, supervision, or directions
• Provide assessment and diagnostic services to residents. Perform an assessment evaluation using techniques including observation, inspection, and palpation
• Initiate requests for consultation or referral. Respond to requests from the resident, physician, or nursing staff
• Identify, manage, and treat specific skin disorders and primary and secondary lesions, such as skin abrasions, foot problems such as corns and callouses, decubitus ulcers, bacterial, parasitic and viral skin infections, scaling popular diseases, and benign tumors
• Assist in resident rehabilitation activities. Where require, perform range of motion, assist in ambulation, provide emotional support. Monitor the results of physical therapy activities.
• Provide preventative health care services. Make recommendations to the resident concerning nutrition, prevention of common skin disorders, etc.
• Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the attending physician, Medical Director, or the DON concerning the status and care of the residents
• Implement and maintain established policies and procedures relative to skin care treatments. Interpret these to the physician, resident family members, and public as appropriate
• Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• LPN/RN with current unencumbered state licensure.
• Wound Certification from accredited institution preferred.
• Must have current CPR certification.
• Must have, as a minimum, two (2) years of experience as an LPN/RN

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday
• Must be able to speak and write the English language
• Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position
• Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a height of 5 feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of 50 feet