Infection Preventionist

St Luke Health Services•City of Oswego, NY

About The Position

St. Luke Health Services is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Registered Nurse to join its leadership team as an Infection Preventionist / Quality Assurance RN. This clinical leadership position oversees the facility's Infection Prevention and Control and Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs, with a focus on resident safety, quality of care, clinical outcomes, and regulatory compliance. The role works closely with nursing leadership, providers, department directors, residents, families, and the interdisciplinary team. The Infection Preventionist / Quality Assurance RN leads infection prevention activities, conducts clinical and regulatory audits, monitors quality indicators, investigates problems, analyzes data, develops corrective action plans, and helps ensure improvements are sustained. The position also supports staff education and coaching, survey preparation, and continuous improvement across the facility.

Requirements

Current, unrestricted New York State Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license.
Certified in Infection Control (CIC) or equivalent certification.
Minimum of 2 years of nursing experience.
Organized and highly detail-oriented.
Strong clinical problem-solving skills.
Comfortable analyzing data and identifying trends.
Confident conducting audits and investigations.
Able to communicate effectively with staff at all levels.
Comfortable providing education, coaching, and constructive feedback.
Able to work independently while knowing when to escalate concerns.
Passionate about improving resident outcomes and quality of care.
Committed to following through on identified problems until they are resolved.

Nice To Haves

Skilled nursing or long-term care experience.
Infection prevention experience.
Clinical auditing experience.
Wound care experience.

Responsibilities

Lead and monitor the facility's Infection Prevention and Control Program.
Conduct infection surveillance, investigations, outbreak response, and follow-up.
Monitor compliance with hand hygiene, PPE, isolation precautions, wound care, environmental cleaning, and other infection-prevention practices.
Participate in and monitor the facility's Antibiotic Stewardship Program.
Conduct clinical and regulatory audits and identify opportunities for improvement.
Serve as a clinical leader for skin integrity, pressure injury prevention, and wound management.
Track and trend falls, infections, pressure injuries, medication errors, hospital transfers, weight loss, accidents, and other quality indicators.
Conduct root-cause analyses and develop corrective action plans.
Monitor corrective actions to ensure improvements are sustained.
Analyze quality data and prepare reports for leadership and QAPI committees.
Assist with NYSDOH and CMS survey preparation, mock surveys, investigations, and follow-up activities.
Provide education, coaching, and feedback to nursing and interdisciplinary staff.
Maintain current knowledge of CMS, NYSDOH, CDC, OSHA, and long-term care requirements.
Promote a culture of safety, accountability, resident dignity, and continuous improvement.