Registered Nurse - Infection Preventionist

Veterans Health Administration • Chicago, IL

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse, Infection Preventionist delivers fundamental infection prevention and control knowledge to Veterans and VA employees while developing technical skills. The Infection Preventionist serves as a resource and advisor on infection prevention and control matters and assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates infection control practices based on age-specific components. The nurse coordinates care focused on education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care, follows established policies and guidelines, and applies infection prevention and control principles to current practice.

The role collaborates with interdisciplinary team members to influence care outcomes; conducts surveillance and environment-of-care rounds; performs case and trend analysis, reporting and interpretation, inspections, and control measures; and educates patients, families, volunteers, and hospital staff about infection prevention and control processes. The Infection Preventionist serves on the Infection Prevention and Control Team, maintains infection prevention and control policies, and supports review of other medical center and service policies and procedures for compliance with applicable standards. The position may require flexibility in schedule and assignments. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available.

Requirements

• Graduate from a professional nursing program approved by an appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by ACEN or CCNE, or meet the stated alternative education pathways for bridge-program or foreign-school graduates.
• Hold current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a stated Graduate Nurse Technician temporary-appointment exception may apply to eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Demonstrate basic written and spoken English proficiency.
• Meet the education, professional nursing experience, and grade-determination criteria for the applicable Nurse grade and level.
• Meet U.S. citizenship or applicable non-citizen appointment requirements.
• Submit to required drug testing, background and security investigation, onboarding, and pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Complete the application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section.
• Be able to perform nursing-related physical activities, which may include prolonged walking, standing, and sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling.

Nice To Haves

• Certified in Infection Control (CIC).
• At least 2 years of previous experience as an Infection Prevention and Control Nurse.
• BSN or MSN degree.
• 5 years of RN experience in an inpatient hospital setting.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a resource and advisor on infection prevention and control matters.
• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate infection control practices based on age-specific components.
• Coordinate care focused on education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care.
• Follow established procedures, policies, and guidelines and apply infection prevention and control principles to current practice.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to influence care outcomes.
• Conduct surveillance and environment-of-care rounds to assess practice and environmental issues.
• Perform case and trend analysis, reporting and interpretation, inspections, and control measures.
• Educate patients, families, volunteers, and hospital staff on infection prevention and control processes and procedures.
• Serve as a member of the Infection Prevention and Control Team and maintain infection prevention and control policies.
• Support review of medical center and service policies and procedures to ensure compliance with infection prevention and control standards.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with 5-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree