Infection Preventionist

Legacy Nursing and Rehabilitation•Morgan City, LA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The purpose of the Infection Preventionist position is to minimize the risk and spread of infection throughout the facility.

Requirements

Freedom from illegal use of drugs.
Freedom from use and effects of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
Anyone found guilty by a court of law of abusing, neglecting or mistreating individuals in a health care related setting are ineligible for employment in the position.
primary training in nursing, medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology, or other related field.
current license to practice as a nurse
enrolled or completed certification for Infection Preventionist
current CPR certification preferred

Nice To Haves

LTC experience preferred
current CPR certification preferred

Responsibilities

Implement measures throughout the facility by training residents, staff, and visitors on infection control practices to minimize the risk and spread of infections in our facility.
Participates in Daily QA (morning) Meetings, Monthly/ Quarterly QA, Safety Committee Meetings, Resident Council Meetings when requested, Care Plan Meetings, High Risk meetings, in-service trainings, continuing education programs, and all other meetings called by Legacy or licensing entities.
Member of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT Team).
Oversight of the IPCP (Infection Prevention and Control Program)
Obtain consents for Flu vaccine, Pneumonia vaccine, COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, and Tuberculosis testing for facility residents and staff.
Track resident and employee needs for the above mentioned and host clinics to administer them in an efficient manner and according to regulations.
Ensure paperwork (consents/ declinations) are scanned into and administration record data is entered into PointClickCare.
Use PointClickCare as instructed by the Corporate Office Designee and facility policy to track and trend infections and run reports in PointClickCare as needed.
Conduct training and competencies upon hire and annually to include hand hygiene, isolation and contact precautions, donning and doffing of personal protective equipment, the purpose of each type of equipment, linen storage and distribution, environmental hazards, use of resident care products and equipment, resident and staff immunization programs, proper sanitation of items (cleaning sit times) meal pass, etc.
Provide guidance (in accordance to current CDC guidelines) to facility staff on resident isolation, visitation, group meals/activities, resident outings, employee isolation requirements, mask requirements, COVID-19 testing requirements, and COVID-19 vaccination/ booster administration.
Report any infection control concerns to the Director of Nursing and/or Administrator and present viable solutions.
Ensure the resident hydration program is working effectively and train the staff on the importance of proper hydration to reduce infection and illness.
Enforce facility policies as well as regulation requirements regarding infection control throughout the facility.
Ensure proper signage regarding isolation, PPE, hand hygiene, visitation, testing, and best practices are up to date and placed in high-traffic areas of the facility.
Collaborate with the facility leadership and the medical director to develop, implement, and evaluate the annual infection prevention goals and action plan.
Partner with facility leaders, physicians, and local, state, and national agencies on activities related to infection prevention.
Establish a facility-wide system for the prevention, identification, investigation, and control of infections of residents, staff, and visitors, including surveillance designed to identify possible communicable diseases or infections before they spread.
Conduct outbreak investigations.
Maintain a system for reporting possible incidents of communicable diseases to local, state, or national agencies as required.
Oversee the antibiotic stewardship program and monitor residents' antibiotic use. Train nurses on assessment skills and tools to complete before calling the doctor for antibiotics.
Assess the need for, develop, and implement written policies and procedures for infection control, including those for standard precautions and for transmission-based precautions, including when these should be used, the duration of use, and the type of precautions needed for a particular infection or organism.
Enforce policies prohibiting staff with communicable diseases or infected skin lesions from direct contact with residents and their food and enforce hand hygiene policies consistent with accepted standards of practices.
Be accountable for surveillance of healthcare-acquired and community-acquired infections for residents, staff, volunteers, and visitors.
Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations and ensure that the facility leaders are informed of appropriate issues; understand and comply with infection control, safety, and OSHA procedures and regulations.
Must act in ways that promote professional and positive representation of the facility to the community.
Communicates in a professional and courteous manner using effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills with residents, their families, co-workers, and vendors.
Maintains confidentiality of department, resident, employee information, communication, and documentation as well as compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.
Attends in-service training as required.
Clocks in and out for all working/training hours. Working off the clock will not be permitted at any time or for any reason.
Maintain compliance with Legacy's Compliance program and plan.
Adhere to Legacy's Code of Conduct and Dress Code.