Job Description

Summary/Objective 

In keeping with our organization’s goal of improving the lives of the Guests we serve, the Infection Preventionist plays a critical role in the surveillance, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of facility-acquired infections, while always maintaining effective infection control program. This position provides education to staff and assists with the development, implementation, and enforcement of infection control policies and procedures. The Infection Preventionist will safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of all guests by following applicable laws, regulations, and established nursing policies and procedures.

Essential Functions
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1.      Responsible for identifying, controlling, and preventing outbreaks of infections in the facility.

2.      Develops, revises, and implements infection control and prevention policies and procedures including the documentation format.

3.      Collects and analyzes data infection control data to monitor infectious outbreaks in the facility and surrounding community. Analyzing the incidents of infection and prepare a quarterly report reflecting the results to submit to the Administrator, DON and at appropriate forms such as the QA/QI meetings.

4.      Address any patterns and trends in incidents of infection with the appropriate follow up, corrective action, and supervise the performance of the corrective procedures by designated departments or individual staff and their clinical effect.

5.      Establish specific policies and procedures that cover core activities for effective IPC risk assessment and program such as Pathogen Transmission, Healthcare Associated Infections, and Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship.

6.      Oversee the proper implementation of COVID prevention and management program.

7.      Oversee the proper implementation of the facility’s Respiratory Protection Program.

8.      Monitor a quarterly diagnosis of cultures which shall be performed routinely.

9.      Schedule specific departments and sites for diagnostic sampling. The DON shall designate specific individuals to perform data collection.

10.  Reporting of results to the Director of Quality Assurance or designee and assist in the preparation of a written report that will be distributed to all departments involved in the environmental surveillance. For positive results, instruct Director of Quality Assurance to schedule repeat cultures and inform DON, and the respective departments.

11.  Develops, implements, and maintains on-going training and educational programs for all facility personnel required to perform tasks involving exposure to blood/bodily fluids, use of proper PPE, screening, and surveillance, contact tracing and the like.

12.  Acts as an infection control educational resource for employees, community members, guests, and their families.

13.  Assist the Environmental Services department heads, in developing infection control procedures for proper handling of clean and soiled laundry/lien, routine and terminal cleaning of isolation rooms/areas and proper cleaning of equipment.

14.  Ensures facility compliance with federal, state, and local infection control standards, including CDC, CMS, OSHA, and JCAHO.

15.  Participates in Federal, State and Local agency annual surveys.

16.  Review with appropriate department heads any deficiencies noted by government agencies during inspections. 

17.  Ensure each Guest receives person centered care.

18.  Answer and respond to call lights promptly and courteously when working in guest care areas. Provide direct nursing care as necessary.

19.  Assist nursing personnel in performing nursing care procedures as necessary including proper utilization of PPE.

20.  Monitor medication passes, nursing care and treatments to assure that appropriate hand washing techniques are being followed.

21.  Visit isolated residents and specialized zones as necessary to ensure that established isolation precautions and aseptic technique are followed.

22.  Ensure that the laboratory support is available including microbiological and serological services.

23.  Communicates and interacts effectively and tactfully with Guests, visitors, families, peers, and supervisors.

24.  Reports all hazardous conditions, damaged equipment, accidents/incidents and supply issues to appropriate persons. 

25.  Attend and participate in departmental meetings and in-services as directed.

26.  Maintain the confidentiality of resident information and respect the residents’ rights.

27.  Recognize your role as part of the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) efforts of your organization.

28.  Attend trainings to build understanding and capacity to undertake QAPI work.

29.  Carry out QAPI roles and responsibilities as assigned.

30.  Follow established policies and procedures in support of QAPI efforts.

31.  Any noted opportunities for improvement will be shared with leadership in the organization.

32.  Communicate to leadership upon witnessing a positive outcome of a QAPI project or detecting barriers preventing project success.

33.  Support QAPI efforts both verbally and non-verbally (i.e., via actions and attitude), including adjusting performance and practice in accordance with QAPI initiatives and findings.

34.  Participate in compliance trainings as scheduled and adhere to compliance plan.

35.  Follow established fire, disaster, and evacuation policies and procedures.

Supervisory Responsibility
This position has indirect supervisor responsibilities for Certified Nurse Aides and other nursing personnel.

Work Environment
This job operates in a health care setting. This role requires regular walking to and working in various locations around the facility while pulling or pushing carts. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. This position works mostly in the Guest care and office areas as well as occasional outside weather conditions. This role may also come into contact with Guests who may have contagious illnesses. 

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and stooping on a regular basis. The employee must be able to lift and move items and patients weighing at least 50 pounds.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This position is part of a health care facility that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Rotating shifts as well as holiday and work during inclement weather will be required. 

Travel
Travel to and from locations in the surrounding community will be required.

Required Education and Experience

• Must prosses as a minimum a nursing degree from an accredited college or university or school of nursing.

·         Valid, unencumbered Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.) license

•  L.P.N., must have primary professional training in medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology, or another related field.
• Must complete the required Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Certification Course as approved by the CDC.
• C.P.R. Certified.

Preferred Education and Experience

·         One year experience in an infection control position.

·         One year experience in a leadership or supervisory role

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

·         Knowledge of Federal, State and Local requirements and regulations, including JCAHO, CMS, CDC, and IDPH as it pertains to Long Term Care.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for their job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.