Infection Control Nurse

PACS•New York, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Infection Control Nurse is a Registered Nurse responsible for supervising day-to-day nursing activities during the assigned tour of duty and for planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating the facility’s infection control program. The position ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including CDC and OSHA guidance, and promotes high-quality resident care through infection prevention, isolation practices, surveillance, staff education, and oversight of nursing services. The role provides administrative, committee, personnel, nursing-care, staff-development, safety, equipment, care-planning, and budget-related support. Duties include monitoring infections and infection-control practices; maintaining records and preparing reports; participating in investigations, surveys, and committee work; advising staff and residents; providing direct nursing care when needed; and helping ensure that resident care plans, workplace safety, sanitation, and facility procedures are followed. The position requires an active, unencumbered RN license in the state, current CPR certification, a nursing degree from an accredited college or university, and training in rehabilitative and restorative nursing practices. At least two years of experience is required, preferably in a long-term care facility. The role involves work throughout office and nursing-service areas, exposure to infectious diseases and potentially hazardous conditions, and the ability to move and lift or carry at least 25 pounds. Work beyond normal hours, weekends, holidays, and emergency call-back may be necessary.

Requirements

Nursing degree from an accredited college or university.
Training in rehabilitative and restorative nursing practices.
At least two years of experience, preferably in a long-term care facility.
Current, unencumbered, active RN license in the state of practice.
Current CPR certification.
Maintain required continuing education and licensure and remain in good standing with the State Board of Nursing.
Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English, including technical procedures and policy and procedure manuals.
Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from managers and employees.
Ability to apply fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Ability to make independent decisions, solve practical problems, and deal tactfully with staff, residents, families, visitors, agencies, and the public.
Leadership and supervisory ability and ability to work harmoniously with and supervise other personnel.
Ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret programs, goals, objectives, policies, and procedures for quality care.
Knowledge and skills to provide care appropriate to residents’ age-related needs; knowledge of nursing and medical practices and applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines.
Patience, tact, a cheerful disposition, enthusiasm, and willingness to handle difficult residents and incorporate new methods and principles into nursing practices.
Ability to communicate information about a resident’s condition and function independently with flexibility and personal integrity.
Ability to move intermittently, speak and write understandably, see and hear adequately (with prosthetics if needed), and cope with mental and emotional stress.
Ability to push, pull, move, or lift at least 25 pounds to a height of at least 5 feet and carry that weight at least 50 feet; may need to assist with resident evacuation.
Must meet the facility’s general health requirements, including medical and physical examination, and must not pose a direct threat to others’ health or safety.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and experience with PCC preferred.
Experience in a long-term care facility preferred.

Responsibilities

Plan, develop, organize, implement, evaluate, coordinate, and direct the facility’s infection control program in accordance with applicable rules and guidelines.
Ensure compliance with CDC, OSHA, and local infection-control and standard/universal precaution requirements.
Develop and update infection-control precautions and aseptic techniques, monitor their implementation, and address problem areas.
Conduct nursing-unit rounds and visit residents in isolation to review case findings, sanitation, isolation precautions, and aseptic practices.
Ensure laboratory support is available; review infectious-disease laboratory reports and consult with nursing leadership on care planning and aseptic practices.
Assist with decontamination, sterilization, sterile-pack testing, equipment monitoring, shelf-life monitoring, and reprocessing as necessary.
Ensure appropriate disposal and removal of infectious and contaminated materials.
Maintain infection records and prepare monthly infection summaries, investigation summaries, and reports and recommendations for facility leadership and committees.
Participate in surveys for carriers and possible infection sources, government inspections, and reporting of reportable diseases to health departments.
Develop or support infection-control procedures for laundry, environmental cleaning, isolation areas, discharge planning, and the facility TB management program.
Participate in Infection Control Committee meetings and assist with evaluating and revising infection-control practices, protocols, and cleaning procedures.
Develop and maintain systems for detecting, evaluating, recording, and reporting infections among personnel; support employee health services and counseling.
Orient and educate employees on infection-control policies, hygiene, handwashing, blood/body-fluid exposure precautions, TB testing, and hepatitis B vaccination policies.
Report occupational exposures and incidents in accordance with facility policies and make required reports to the Administrator or Director of Nursing Services.
Support admission interviews, resident and family education about isolation precautions, physician rounds, nursing documentation reviews, medication-pass and treatment monitoring, culture collection, and direct nursing care as needed.
Participate in staff development and in-service training, including infection-control, OSHA, TB, HIPAA, safety, and abuse-prevention topics; maintain continuing education and licensure.
Promote safety and sanitation, ensure appropriate use of PPE and equipment, monitor hand hygiene and infection-control practices, and report hazardous conditions or missing safety documentation.
Recommend equipment and supply needs; support equipment maintenance and safe-operation procedures and ensure adequate supplies and safety documentation.
Participate in resident assessments and care-plan development and review, and help ensure care is consistent with care plans and resident wishes.
Assist with nursing staff supervision and management and perform administrative duties, including documentation, forms, reports, evaluations, studies, and charting.
Report suspected or known fraud and review complaints and grievances from department personnel.