Infection Control Safety & Health Specialist

CASS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER • Harrisonville, MO

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Primary Purpose: Ensure that patients and employees are not at risk of infections and health related concerns.

Requirements

• Knowledge of federal and state laws regarding infection, safety (OSHA), and health regulations
• basic knowledge of medical terms and diagnosis.
• Ability to interpret federal and state laws regarding infection, safety and health
• must be able to communicate at all levels and must maintain working relationship with professional peers and organizations
• ability to maintain high level of confidentiality.
• Four-year college education, which may include a licensed registered nurse, a bachelor’s degree in laboratory science or public health, or has similar qualifications and additional training or education preparation in infection control, infectious diseases, epidemiology and principles of quality improvement.
• BSN required.
• Infection Control Certification (CIC) required or willingness to acquire within 2 years of employment.

Nice To Haves

• Infection control experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Monitor compliance of infection control program, review and analyze infection control data, risk factors and as needed, perform special studies that relate to infection prevention and control.
• Works in conjunction with Pharmacy Department to review C&S reports of patients daily-to identify any unusual or multiple resistant organisms, then generate correct protection from transmission, through use of Standard Precautions with disease specific precautions.
• Report to the local Cass County Health Department any Category I or II diseases or findings daily during days of operation.
• Based on culture reports, notify and educate nursing home personnel when their client has a multiple drug resistant organism infection, resulting in reduced transmission to other clients and staff members in that specific facility.
• Provide data for Missouri Healthcare Associated Infection Reporting System (MHIRS) on a quarterly basis.
• Provide data to NHSN on a monthly basis in a timely manner.
• Provide data to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) as required for all vaccinations that are provided to employees and/or staff.
• Is visible within the organization-actively monitoring and visualizing infection prevention practices and acting when practices are not meeting expectations.
• Provides education to hospital personnel in the areas of Infection Prevention/Control and Employee Health.
• Present information in new employee orientation 90% of scheduled dates.
• Review employee health program, infection prevention control program, and environment of care requirements, result in updated information.
• Instruct 100% of all new personnel during New Employee Orientation on hand washing procedure and efficacy.
• Ensures and monitors compliance and takes actions as necessary to meet organizations expectations.
• Instruct 100% of new personnel on Standard Precautions with disease related transmission-based precautions.
• Measures and monitors ongoing compliance and takes actions as necessary to meet organizational expectations.
• Organize and present information on annual basis related to Safety and Infection Control/Prevention. This will be done using Care Learning modules and competency fair stations.
• Additional education provided to staff on as-needed basis related to current concerns.
• On an annual basis, provides the Board of Trustees and leadership a summary of Infection Prevention/Control activities. Plans for the following year using summary and current Infection prevention/Control trends .
• Provide Employee Health services to employees as needed. May be included but not limited to administering immunizations, annual TB screenings, and following up with staff member exposed to communicable diseases.
• Review health history, require documentation of immunity to rubella, rubeola, varicella, and mumps, update tetanus/diphtheria vaccination on 100% of new employees providing protection for the employee in health care arena.
• TB skin testing or require a chest film if a past positive reactor.
• Offer Hepatitis B Vaccine to all new employees. If a previous Hepatitis B vaccine was reported, will do an HbsAb level or acquire one from previous employer.
• Provide TB signs and symptoms questionnaire to all employees annually and require chest x-ray for employees who have newly acquired signs and symptoms of TB. Goal is to achieve 90%.
• Offer all employees of Cass Regional and physicians, contracted service providers, Board of Trustees and Volunteers the influenza vaccine each fall. Expected compliance rate of taking vaccine or signing a declination is 95%.
• Works in conjunction with Director of Quality and Patient Safety and Human Resources related to worker compensation related to trends and employee action planning.
• Provide prophylaxis treatment to staff members exposed to communicable disease, per policy, resulting in their reduced susceptibility in acquiring same disease.
• Counsels employees exposed to blood and/or body fluids, follow-up lab work on source patient, check lab results, and delivers written opinion to employee 100% of the time, per current policy.
• Coordinate the infection prevention and control program of the facility.
• Consult Infection Control chairman or Infectious Disease Specialist, as needed, for specific problems relating to Infection Control.
• Lead Infection Control Committee meeting at least quarterly to disseminate relevant information and obtain team members expertise in solving problems and concerns for issues at Cass Regional and off-site facilities.
• Completes root cause analysis for nosocomial infections, as appropriate within 30 days of occurrence notification.
• Reviews and modified Infection Control policies as needed to stay current on evidence-based practices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time