Infection Preventionist

WVU Medicine

14d • Onsite

About The Position

Assists with plans and coordination of Infection Prevention and Control activities under guidelines established by the Infection Prevention and Control Committee. Studies, coordinates, and evaluates infection prevention and control practices across hospital departments and clinics. Provides continuing education to hospital personnel on current trends and changes to improve infection prevention and control standards. Assists, supervises, and coordinates hospital activities related to disease transmission, emphasizing education, patient care issues, and associate safety.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing, public health, epidemiology, clinical laboratory science, medical technology, or a related field.
• If the degree is in nursing, a current Registered Nurse license issued by the state where services will be provided, or a current multistate Registered Nurse license through the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC), is required.
• Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., or obtain it within three years of hire.
• State criminal background check and federal background check, if applicable, as required for regulated areas.
• Able to handle confidential information.
• Able to work successfully under highly stressful conditions and adapt to varying workloads and work assignments on a constant basis.
• Able to read and write legibly in English and possess comprehension skills.
• Able to comprehend and follow oral and written instructions and procedures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to work weekends, holidays, and all shifts.
• Able to prioritize tasks and make independent decisions.
• Skilled in advanced math.
• Able to respond to emergency situations calmly and professionally.
• Able to use computers to input and retrieve information.
• Able to perform concentrated and complex mental activity, including frequent involvement in complex and highly technical situations.
• Able to make sound, independent judgments based on scientific principles or sound business judgment, and collaborate appropriately with multidisciplinary team members.
• Able to analyze statistics and use them to recommend changes.

Nice To Haves

• Five years’ experience as a Registered Nurse in an acute care setting.
• Five years’ experience in a public health setting.
• Prior experience in infection prevention.

Responsibilities

• Monitor healthcare-associated infections.
• Assess infection prevention and control problems and recommend corrective action.
• Participate in the Infection Prevention and Control Committee, if applicable.
• Oversee monitoring of infection prevention and control practices and personnel compliance across all departments.
• Assist department managers in developing departmental infection prevention and control policies.
• Report communicable diseases to local health departments and the state as required by law.
• Provide educational presentations for orientation and ongoing in-services regarding current recommendations and mandates.
• Consult with department leadership and physicians as needed to improve care delivery.
• Serve as a resource for all departments and personnel.
• Participate in short- and long-range planning for the infection prevention and control department.
• Consult with the Associate Health Nurse Practitioner regarding exposure determination, personnel infections, follow-up, and current healthcare personnel vaccination recommendations.
• Participate in performance improvement activities and committees.
• Conduct outbreak investigations and initiate control measures.
• May assist with developing, implementing, and monitoring the TB management program.
• Review and assist with environmental sampling as necessary.
• Provide oral and written infection prevention recommendations for construction, renovation, remediation, repair, or demolition as part of a multidisciplinary team during preplanning, demolition, construction, and commissioning.
• Collect, prepare, and analyze healthcare-associated infection data and present it to leadership and stakeholders.
• Provide internal and external reporting of information and data as required by law, accreditation requirements, and regulatory mandates.
• Assist with developing, implementing, and evaluating plans for an influx of infectious diseases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time