Infection Prevention Nurse

St. Paul's Senior Services•San Diego, CA

5d•$42 - $62

About The Position

The Infection Control Nurse provides administrative, surveillance, and consultative work to plan, develop, coordinate, and administer an Infection Control Program. The role plans, organizes, implements, and evaluates the program to ensure it is carried out effectively and efficiently, and educates stakeholders about infection control practices. The nurse monitors healthcare practices, investigates possible outbreaks, analyzes epidemiological and statistical data, and recommends interventions or practice changes. The role provides infection-control expertise and education to staff, patients, families, and community members; participates in immunization clinics; observes patients with IV lines, catheters, and other internally placed tubing; participates in wound rounds; documents findings in electronic medical records; and collaborates with medical professionals and facility leadership on patient care and infection prevention strategies. The position also participates in department and committee meetings, contributes to policies and procedures where applicable, evaluates infection-prevention products and technology for safety and cost-effectiveness, and assists the Director of Nursing and Licensed Nurses with infection-control duties. Candidates must be a California-licensed LVN or RN, hold an infection-control certification from a California Department of Public Health-approved program for skilled nursing facilities, have BLS certification, and have at least two years of nursing experience. Fingerprint clearance through DOJ and FBI and drug-screen clearance are required.

Requirements

Current Licensed Vocational Nurse or Registered Nurse license in the State of California.
Infection Control Certification from a program approved by the California Department of Public Health for infection-control practices in skilled nursing facilities.
BLS certification.
At least 2 years of experience as a Vocational or Registered Nurse.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Facilitation skills.
Problem-solving abilities.
Analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Proficiency with computer software used to analyze statistics and write reports.
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Knowledge of infection-prevention and control regulations and guidelines; sterilization and decontamination; microbiology and infectious processes; environmental health services best practices; epidemiological principles, statistics, and infectious diseases; policies, procedures, standards of practice, and guidelines; nursing and infection-prevention program developments; research and evidence-based practice; infection-control promotion; and infection-prevention program development.
Ability to clear DOJ and FBI fingerprints and pass a drug-screen clearance.

Responsibilities

Conduct surveillance of healthcare or industry practices, identify problem areas, gather related data, analyze findings, and report results.
Provide education and training on infection control to staff, patients, and community members through presentations and individual counseling.
Consult with stakeholders and provide expertise on infection-control practices based on current knowledge and best-practice research.
Investigate infection-control outbreaks; research epidemiological studies and best practices; monitor statistical data, calculate infection rates, assess findings, and recommend responses or practice changes.
Coordinate infection-prevention and control activities and communicate with managers and administrators about suspected outbreaks.
Provide nursing services at immunization clinics, including administering vaccinations and collecting data.
Provide patients and their families with infection-control education materials and counseling.
Attend department and committee meetings and provide input into policies and procedures where applicable.
Evaluate new infection-prevention technologies and products for safety and cost-effectiveness; meet with sales representatives or attend product in-services.
Assist the Director of Nursing and Licensed Nurses with infection-control duties.
Observe patients with IV lines, catheters, and other internally placed tubing daily for infection surveillance.
Participate in wound rounds and evaluate suspicious or potential skin and wound infections.
Document findings in electronic medical records.
Communicate with internal and external medical professionals to develop clinically appropriate patient-care and infection-prevention strategies.
Observe infection-control practices and adherence to established policies and procedures throughout the facility across all shifts.