Hospital Infection Control Nurse

Infection Preventionist V

Onsite Downey, CA

Develops and implements infection prevention and control programs. Identifies infection control problems, disease outbreaks, exposure, epidemics, and pandemics and escalates findings. Analyzes and evaluates data on infection prevention and control programs to identify areas of improvement. Designs and delivers program-wide infection prevention and control educational programs. Reviews in reviewing policies and procedures related to occupational health.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Promotes learning in others by communicating information and providing advice to drive projects forward; builds relationships with cross-functional stakeholders. Listens, responds to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides actionable feedback to others, including upward feedback to leadership and mentors junior team members. Practices self-leadership; creates and executes plans to capitalize on strengths and improve opportunity areas; influences team members within assigned team or unit. Adapts to competing demands and new responsibilities; adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback. Models team collaboration within and across teams.
• Conducts or oversees business-specific projects by applying deep expertise in subject area; promotes adherence to all procedures and policies. Partners internally and externally to make effective business decisions; determines and carries out processes and methodologies; solves complex problems; escalates high-priority issues or risks, as appropriate; monitors progress and results. Develops work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; coordinates and delegates resources to accomplish organizational goals. Recognizes and capitalizes on improvement opportunities; evaluates recommendations made; influences the completion of project tasks by others.
• Educates others on infection prevention and control by: engaging in follow up consultations with hospital and clinical staff and patients on infection prevention and control and new patient care equipment; assessing and addressing learning needs of customers and integrating feedback to meet needs; and designing and delivering program-wide infection prevention and control educational programs and materials for general orientation and clinical departments.
• Provides expertise in epidemiology by: analyzing and summarizing rates and trends of occupational exposure to infectious disease(s); and reviewing infection prevention and control policies and/or workflows related to occupational health.
• Utilizes epidemiological principles to conduct surveillance by: identifying infection control problems, disease outbreaks, exposure, epidemics, and pandemics and escalating findings to leaders; coordinating with senior staff to implement surveillance programs to monitor infection control problems, disease outbreaks, exposure, epidemics, and pandemics; and synthesizing, escalating, and reporting findings from investigations following infection control problems, disease outbreaks, exposure, epidemics, and pandemics to senior staff.
• Participating in performance improvement initiatives by: analyzing and evaluating infection prevention and control programs to identify areas of improvement; selecting and deploying performance improvement tools to implement in continuous improvement initiatives; ensuring customer needs and expectations are being heard/considered in the design of processes, products, and/or services; evaluating progress of performance improvement initiatives and providing recommendations to alleviate routine issues or blockers to performance improvement initiatives; and serving as a member of and participating in performance improvement committees and teams.
• Engages in ongoing surveillance by: proactively monitoring and analyzing infection cases in relation to an annual infection prevention and control program plan; developing and implementing organizational infection prevention and control program(s); interpreting and aligning KP and national (e.g., Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], National Healthcare Safety Network [NHSN]) standards to develop infection prevention and control policies and protocols; conducting routine on-site visits to assess clinical space and practices related to infection prevention/control (e.g., patient waiting areas, respiratory etiquette station, cleaning procedures, sterilization); and facilitating compliance with local, state, and federal regulatory and accreditation standards and ensuring mandatory reporting requirements are being met

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum two (2) years of experience in infection prevention, clinical quality management, or a directly related field.
• Masters degree in Nursing, Public Health, Epidemiology, Microbiology, or related field AND minimum five (5) years of health care/professional experience INCLUDING minimum two (2) years of experience in patient management, occupational health, clinical rounds, laboratory, public health, or a directly related field OR Bachelors degree in Nursing, Public Health, Microbiology, or related field AND minimum seven (7) years of health care/professional experience INCLUDING minimum four (4) years of experience in patient management, occupational health, clinical rounds, laboratory, public health, or a directly related field OR Registered Nurse (RN) License (without a Bachelors degree) AND minimum nine (9) years of health care/professional experience INCLUDING minimum six (6) years of experience in patient management, occupational health, clinical rounds, laboratory, public health, or a directly related field OR Minimum ten (10) years of experience in patient management, occupational health, clinical rounds, laboratory, public health, or a directly related field.
• Infection Control Certificate within 24 months of hire

Additional Requirements:

· Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Information Gathering; Change Management; Business Documentation; Business Process Improvement; Critical Facility Operations Knowledge; Facilities Management/Operations; Operational Excellence; Preventative Maintenance; Risk Management; Issues and Crisis Management; Written Communication; Compliance Management; Confidentiality; Safety and Environmental Health Management; Health Care Compliance; Maintain Files and Records; Health Care Data Analytics; Health Care Outcome Data; Trend Analysis; Consulting; Quality Assurance Process; Hazard Mitigation; Emergency Preparedness; Patient Safety; Laboratory Procedures; Bloodborne Pathogen Knowledge