Registered Nurse Multi-Drug Resistant Program Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Albuquerque, NM

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The New Mexico VA Health Care System is hiring a Registered Nurse Multi-Drug Resistant Program Coordinator for its Quality and Patient Safety Service. The role practices within the Infection Prevention and Control section of the Office of Quality and Patient Safety and supports a multidisciplinary, system-wide program to monitor, prevent, and control infections and their adverse effects on patients, employees, trainees, volunteers, and visitors. The coordinator is a key member of the Infection Prevention and Control and Quality and Patient Safety teams, organizationally responsible to the Chief of Quality and Patient Safety, with clinical oversight by the Hospital Epidemiologist and direct administrative oversight by the RN Supervisor, Infection Prevention and Control.

The coordinator provides expert consultation on multidrug-resistant organism prevention; coordinates and documents applicable professional and regulatory standards; manages local MDRO prevention initiatives and related data; and develops and evaluates facility procedures. The position analyzes infection-transmission risks, designs studies and interventions, supports research, and evaluates implementation effectiveness. It also prepares guidance, reports, and presentations; educates staff, volunteers, patients, and families; performs contact investigations; and assists with outbreak management. The position requires travel of 25% or less. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework and virtual work are not authorized.

Requirements

• Graduate from a professional nursing program accredited by ACEN or CCNE, or meet the stated qualifying education provisions 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; the posting also describes a Graduate Nurse Technician temporary appointment exception for eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Demonstrate basic written and spoken English proficiency.
• Meet the applicable Nurse grade and level education, experience, and dimension criteria; qualifying criteria vary by grade and may include an ADN, diploma, BSN, MSN, doctoral degree, and professional nursing experience.
• Be a U.S. citizen, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Complete required pre-employment screening and onboarding, including a background/security investigation, drug testing when applicable, and a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Meet physical demands including heavy lifting and carrying of 45 pounds or more, pushing and pulling, reaching above shoulder level, finger and hand use, walking and standing up to eight hours, repeated bending, and rapid mental and muscular coordination.

Nice To Haves

• Five years of nursing or another health-related field experience.
• Three years of Infection Prevention and Control experience.
• Certification in Infection Prevention and Control; highly qualified uncertified candidates are required to obtain it within three years of hire.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert consultation and act as a resource to health-related disciplines on MDRO prevention, coordinating with providers, support services, and public health agencies.
• Interpret, coordinate, implement, and document recommendations and standards from relevant professional organizations and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory agency standards.
• Manage local MDRO Prevention Initiative activities in collaboration with the Infection Prevention and Control program, including day-to-day operations and collection and reporting of data such as MRSA, Clostridioides difficile, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
• Develop and evaluate local VA medical facility procedures related to the MDRO Prevention Initiative.
• Ensure appropriate precautions are used in patient care; analyze data to identify potential infection-transmission causes and develop interventions.
• Design and implement focused studies to investigate identified problems and issues.
• Design, participate in, and support Infection Prevention and Control and MDRO research; review proposed interventions and evaluate their effectiveness after implementation.
• Prepare health care system-wide memoranda on MDRO prevention using current guidance from VA and relevant agencies and professional organizations.
• Educate clinical and administrative staff, volunteers, patients, and families about MDRO-related infection prevention and control; conduct special training when emergent issues or program changes arise.
• Prepare reports analyzing epidemiological data, interventions, intervention effectiveness, and follow-up plans; recommend solutions and present reports to services, committees, and health care system administration.
• Present findings to appropriate internal committees and external agencies as required.
• Conduct contact investigations and assist Infection Preventionists with outbreak management, communicating with involved services, administration, and public health agencies.

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 five-year vesting and federal 401(k), with VA contributions of up to 5%.
• 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree