Infection Prevention Specialist

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has a unique combination of education, research, and clinical programs that encourages and supports teamwork and diversity. We champion being a collaborative health care organization, focused on improving patient care and the lives of Arkansans. The Infection Prevention Specialist provides leadership in the application of the infection control program to patient care, organizational processes and/or systems, improving outcomes at the program or service level; is an integral component of the plan for improvement of practice and patient outcomes; and provides expert knowledge and guidance in epidemiology and infection prevention and control-related issues across all service and product lines.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, or Medical Technology
5 or more years of experience in a healthcare setting with 2 or more years of experience in infection control/prevention
Experience in managing multiple priorities, projects and deadlines.
Achievement of Certification in Infection Control (CIC) through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology required within 2 years of hire into this role
Knowledge and experience in the areas of patient care practices, microbiology, asepsis, disinfection/sterilization, and infectious disease.
Experience and skills in communication, adult education, program administration and computer skills.
Expertise in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access.
Understanding of regulatory and compliance standards of various organizations/ agencies (TJC, CMS, ADH, etc).

Nice To Haves

Masters in Public Health, Nursing, or Biology
5 or more years of experience in infection control/prevention.
Certification in Infection Control (CIC) through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology

Responsibilities

Utilizes effective prevention and control activities that are specific to the practice setting, the population served, and the continuum of care.
Integrates surveillance findings into the organization’s plan for improvement of practice and patient outcomes.
Reviews, analyzes, and applies existing regulations, standards and/or guidelines of applicable professional organizations and governmental agencies.
Recommends new or revised practices or procedures based on currently accepted, evidence-based infection prevention and control strategies.
Reviews, analyzes, and applies pertinent information from current scientific literature and publications.
Recognizes populations who are at high risk for infection to assess the status of patient care and implement effective infection control policies and procedures.
Epidemiology – Applies epidemiological principles and statistical methods, including risk stratification, to identify target populations, analyze trends and risk factors, and evaluate prevention and control strategies.
Conducts surveillance and investigations by using epidemiologic principles.
Uses appropriate statistical techniques to describe the data, calculate rates, and critically evaluate significance of findings.
Uses a systematic approach to surveillance to monitor the effectiveness of prevention and control strategies that are consistent with the organization’s goals and objectives.
Participates in the development of the organization’s surveillance plan based on the population(s) served, services provided, and previous surveillance data, if available.
Uses standardized definitions for the identification and classification of events, indicators or outcomes.
Analyzes data utilizing internal and external (if appropriate) benchmarks.
Reports epidemiologically significant findings to appropriate customer.
Participates in periodical evaluation of the effectiveness of the surveillance plan.
Program Management and Evaluation – Systematically evaluates the quality and effectiveness of the infection control program appropriate to the practice setting.
Participates in the periodical evaluation of the effectiveness of the infection control program.
Seeks innovative ideas and improvements to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the infection control program.
Incorporates JCAHO and CDC patient safety goals/guidelines into the infection control program.
Provides leadership in improving and sustaining the quality of care in diverse or complex programs.
Initiates interdisciplinary projects to improve organizational performance.
Management of the Environment – Assists in facilitating an environment that is safe, supportive and free from harmful microorganisms that affect patients, staff and visitors.
Conducts rounds to monitor compliance with safety and infection control standards.
Provides education opportunities to enhance dialogue and staff knowledge.
Identifies opportunities for improvement based on indicators, process and outcome measures, other findings, and/or observations.
Participates in the organization’s multidisciplinary improvement strategies.
Contributes epidemiologic skills to improvement processes.
Establishes criteria for the Performance Improvement Plan for the infection control program.
The Infection Prevention Specialist provides expert knowledge and guidance in epidemiology and infection prevention and control-related issues across all service and product lines.
Maintains access to current information on infection prevention.
Provides expertise regarding infections, communicable diseases and epidemiological procedures to other clinical staff.
Collaborates in the integration of pertinent regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, guidelines, and current infection control practice into policies and procedures.
Ensures that findings, recommendations, and policies of the infection control program are disseminated to appropriate individuals.
Provides consultation to administration, councils, staff, and managers on issues regarding infection prevention and control.
Education/Career Development - Implements an educational plan to meet changing program or service needs for self and others.
Maintains knowledge of current techniques, trends and professional issues.
Professional Accountability - I responsible for the development, evaluation, and improvement of his/her own practice in relations to the practice standards for infection control.
Establishes and works toward professional goals and objective.
Performs regular self-evaluations to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Actively participates in professional organizations.
Provides expert knowledge and guidance as an educational resource for all employees.
Acquires and maintains current knowledge and skills in the area of infection prevention and control and epidemiology.
Achieves and maintains board certification in infection control.
Advances his/her knowledge and skills through continuing education.
Maintains a knowledge base of current infection prevention and control information through peer networking, internet access, published literature, and professional meetings.
Interacts with, and assists, the public in a professional and friendly manner as needed.
Demonstrates effective communication skills; communicates accurate and complete information; maintains strict confidentiality when necessary.
Demonstrates positive working relationships with co-workers, management team, and ancillary departments; follows the Core Concepts of Patient and Family Centered Care and the Basic Code of Conduct Guidelines.
Assists internal and external stakeholders, as needed, with exceptional customer service.
Other duties as assigned.