Infection Control Preventionist

St. Josephs Medical Center•Houston, TX

91d•Onsite

About The Position

The Infection Preventionist monitors and recognizes infectious processes and conducts surveillance of the healthcare environment. The role provides education, assists with performance improvement projects, supports regulatory reporting and trend analysis, and monitors sentinel events. This is a full-time, exempt position requiring work in the office at St. Joseph Medical Center. The Infection Preventionist collaborates on the facility-wide infection control program, including its goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and guidelines. The role conducts infection surveillance and environmental inspections, supports outbreak identification and response, reports communicable diseases as required, collects and analyzes infection control data, and leads improvement initiatives. The position also contributes to patient safety, education, regulatory compliance, and quality outcomes across the continuum of care. St. Joseph Medical Center is a downtown Houston hospital that provides a range of healthcare services. The organization describes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as foundational to its care and employment practices.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in nursing, public health, medical technology, or a related field.
Working knowledge of statistics, microbiology, patient care practices, epidemiology, and occupational health.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Team facilitation skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and online applications.
Ability to work independently under minimal supervision, manage multiple deliverables, anticipate needs, respond in a timely manner, and maintain attention to detail.
Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with coworkers across disciplines and with employees at multiple levels.

Nice To Haves

Two years of clinical or healthcare experience preferred.
Certification in Infection Control (CIC).
Bi- or multilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Collaborate in establishing, implementing, and administering the facility-wide infection control program and developing its goals, objectives, policies, and procedures.
Collaborate in developing and revising Infection Control guidelines and periodically reviewing the Hospital's compliance with established guidelines.
Conduct site inspections to monitor the Hospital environment, identify potential risks, and detect outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections.
Conduct daily surveillance for community- or hospital-acquired infections and support appropriate actions, precautionary measures, and review.
Report communicable diseases to appropriate agencies as required by law, in cooperation with attending physicians.
Monitor sentinel events related to unanticipated deaths or major permanent loss of function associated with healthcare-associated infections.
Follow patient care and facility guidelines and procedures.
Collaborate with interprofessional and intraprofessional colleagues to support quality outcomes.
Foster positive relationships with customers to enhance the patient experience.
Act as a consultant during emergencies or bioterrorism attacks involving infectious diseases.
Serve on the Hospital Infection Control Committee and other committees as directed by the Chief Quality Officer.
Maintain education and competency, including completing competency validations and annual education requirements.
Promote patient safety by identifying and reducing unsafe practices.
Use professional judgment and critical thinking to prepare, prioritize, and execute patient care plans consistent with assessment data, physicians' treatment plans, and professional standards.
Implement measures to prevent exposure to infectious pathogens and communicable conditions.
Identify patient risks and hazards through risk assessments and take action to mitigate harm.
Use appropriate methodologies to collect and analyze infection control statistics.
Collect and aggregate infection control data and ensure it is complete, accurate, and submitted on time for mandatory external reporting and internal use.
Lead infection prevention robust process improvement initiatives and projects across the continuum of care as needed.
Monitor construction areas for compliance with Infection Control guidelines.
Maintain knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments, including through relevant reading and attendance at conferences or seminars.
Contribute to improving patient satisfaction results.
Promote stewardship of hospital resources while ensuring quality patient care.
Adhere to Federal and State regulatory requirements.
Help promote safe patient care by eliminating hospital-acquired infections.
Perform other duties as assigned.