Infection Preventionist

South Shore Health•Weymouth, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Infection Preventionist (IP) identifies, investigates, monitors, and reports health-care infections. The role collaborates with teams and individuals to develop infection prevention strategies, provide feedback, and sustain those strategies. Working with the IP team, the Infection Preventionist develops, implements, and evaluates the organizational infection prevention program, including surveillance, education, regulatory compliance, quality management, employee health, collaboration, leadership, research implementation, infection prevention informatics, and fiscal responsibility. The position develops an annual surveillance plan based on populations served, services provided, and surveillance data; uses epidemiologic principles for surveillance and investigations; and evaluates and modifies the plan as needed. It assists with implementing and communicating infection prevention and control policies and protocols, and shares relevant information and data with committees and healthcare workers. The role assesses educational needs, develops and delivers education, and evaluates program effectiveness and learner outcomes. The Infection Preventionist supports compliance with local, state, and federal reporting requirements and regulatory and accreditation standards, including audits. It uses quality management methods to assess processes and outcomes, participates in quality initiatives, reviews Employee Health policies related to infection prevention and control, and assesses occupational infectious-disease exposure risks. The role also collaborates with public health officials and multidisciplinary teams; applies leadership and change-management principles; mentors less-experienced healthcare providers; evaluates research and evidence-based practices; works with IT on useful electronic reports; and considers costs, benefits, safety, and clinical outcomes in recommendations and program evaluations. This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week position on a day schedule, generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Start and end times may vary based on department needs, and the role has an on-call requirement.

Requirements

Baccalaureate degree in nursing, public health, epidemiology, clinical laboratory science, or a related science.
Completion of a basic infection prevention and control training program, which may include on-the-job training.
Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology (CIC) within 2.5 years after employment.
Analytical and problem-solving skills.
Collaboration skills and strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to implement evidence-based guidelines and resolve conflicts.
Program and project management skills.
Expertise in data collection and analysis, report writing, and data presentation.
Leadership skills.
Demonstrated proficiency using pertinent computer software.
Availability for the stated on-call requirement.

Nice To Haves

Registered Nurse (RN) license.
BSN or MSN.
Five years of clinical experience.
EPIC software experience.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and evaluate the organizational infection prevention program with the IP team.
Develop an annual surveillance plan based on the populations served, services provided, and analysis of surveillance data; conduct surveillance and investigations using epidemiologic principles; and evaluate and modify the plan as necessary.
Assist with implementation of infection prevention and control policies and protocols and communicate those policies, protocols, information, and data to committees and healthcare workers as assigned.
Assess learning needs; create educational goals, objectives, and strategies; deliver education; and evaluate educational programs and learner outcomes.
Comply with local, state, and federal regulatory and mandatory reporting requirements and facilitate or assist with audits for regulatory and accreditation compliance.
Use quality-management methodology to enact change, monitor and analyze process and outcome measures, and participate in quality-management committees, teams, and initiatives as indicated.
Review Employee Health policies and procedures related to infection prevention and control; assess occupational exposure risks; and understand work restrictions and recommendations related to communicable diseases or exposure.
Maintain professional knowledge, skills, certification, and licensure; establish at least one professional goal annually; advocate for patient and healthcare worker safety; and participate in an infection prevention and control professional organization or association (APIC).
Consult and collaborate with public health officials and community health organizations, and involve multidisciplinary teams in reviewing changes.
Apply influence, leadership, and change-management principles; share expertise; provide direction when needed; mentor less-experienced healthcare providers; and prepare and deliver infection prevention presentations.
Critically evaluate research and evidence-based practices, incorporate appropriate findings into routine practice and policies, identify implementation barriers, and develop strategies to overcome barriers and sustain efforts through audit tools and feedback.
Use infection prevention software and other technology and collaborate with IT to create electronic reports that support infection prevention initiatives.
Consider financial, safety, and clinical-outcome implications when making recommendations or evaluating technology and products; systematically evaluate costs, benefits, and efficacy; and incorporate fiscal assessments into program evaluations or reports.