RN - Infection Control, Quality Improvement, Risk Management

The Hospital Authority of Miller County•Edison, GA

About The Position

The RN - Infection Control, Quality Improvement, Risk Management designs, implements, and directs infection control programs for the Nursing Home and manages the infectious waste system. The role oversees infection surveillance, analysis, reporting, standards, and compliance with practices intended to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections. It also coordinates the facility’s Performance Improvement (QI) Program to support regulatory compliance and improve resident care, and analyzes incident reports to help develop plans to reduce risk and incidents. The position plans, implements, evaluates, and analyzes employee health services, including pre-employment and annual assessments, immunizations, and management of work-related exposures, illnesses, and injuries. It establishes and monitors standards for special medical waste handling in accordance with applicable regulations and provides education, consultation, and guidance to staff, medical personnel, patients and residents, families, and visitors. The program manager maintains required records, reports findings and pertinent information to committees and management, and helps ensure compliance with accrediting and regulatory requirements. The role supports infection-control and quality-improvement activities through surveillance, epidemiological problem solving, statistical analysis, trend monitoring, staff education, committee participation, and reporting. It also tracks medication errors and monitors trends involving falls and behaviors. Work takes place in a well-lighted, air-conditioned environment with moderate noise, with possible exposure to bright lights, high noise, limited hazardous substances, body fluids, and infectious organisms. Workloads and stress may fluctuate, and overtime may be scheduled as needed. The position involves frequent standing and walking, along with other physical activities including bending, pushing, pulling, lifting, climbing, twisting, and reaching.

Requirements

Current Georgia RN licensure.
Experience with infection control and epidemiology guidelines and state and federal regulatory licensure mandates.
Knowledge of relevant regulatory, accrediting, and advisory-body requirements, including local and state regulations and CDC recommendations.
Working knowledge of medical and nursing education, patient care management, microbiology, pathology, immunology, epidemiology, and medical statistics.
Ability to interact effectively with healthcare personnel at all levels, other healthcare facilities, public health services at local, state, and national levels, and the CDC.
Ability to take a leadership role in cost-effective prevention of transmissible diseases.
Active BCLS certification.
Ability to communicate in English verbally and in writing; strong written and verbal skills.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to hear alarms, telephones, and normal speaking voices and to see clearly at near and far distances and distinguish colors.
Good manual dexterity and eye-hand-foot coordination; ability to perform repetitive tasks and motions.
Ability to stand and walk continuously during the shift; bend, stoop, push, pull, lift or carry up to 20 pounds, and lift or carry more than 20 pounds with assistance frequently; and sit, climb, twist at the waist, lift or carry more than 50 pounds with assistance, and reach above the shoulder occasionally.
Ability to change tasks without loss of efficiency or composure and to work through periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads.
Compliance with the organization’s Code of Conduct, dress code, confidentiality requirements, policies, and professional requirements; timely attendance and completion of assigned work and training.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree is desirable.
Additional languages are preferred.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, direct, and manage infection control programs for the Nursing Home and associated infectious waste management.
Conduct infection surveillance, analysis, and reporting; establish standards and evaluate compliance with infection prevention and control practices.
Coordinate the facility Performance Improvement (QI) Program to support regulatory compliance and improve resident care.
Compile, organize, and analyze incident reports and help formulate action plans to reduce risk and incidents.
Plan, implement, evaluate, and analyze employee health services, including health assessments, immunizations, and work-related exposure, illness, and injury management.
Establish, monitor, and evaluate standards for handling special medical waste and ensure compliance with current regulations.
Provide education, consultation, and guidance to healthcare staff, medical staff, patients and residents, families, and visitors.
Develop, integrate, manage, and control infection control and employee health program components; update them annually and seek approval from administration and the infection control committee.
Maintain infection-control manuals and records, serve on committees, and support integration of infection-control standards.
Evaluate routine and emergency infection-control measures used in the nursing home.
Communicate with medical and nursing education staff about employee health and healthcare-provider education needs.
Perform statistical analysis of nosocomial infections and trend other indicators related to infection control, employee health, and quality of care.
Conduct surveillance and apply epidemiological approaches to problem solving; analyze and project infection risks and potential impacts.
Prepare, evaluate, and report facility-acquired infections; notify the state of reportable communicable diseases; monitor staff infections; and manage employee exposure incidents, including BBP and TB exposures.
Report findings to the Infection Control Committee at least quarterly and more frequently when indicated, and to the medical staff when needed; maintain and distribute committee minutes.
Develop infection-control quality indicators and improvement plans, and provide information to the infection-control QI coordinator and committee using established reporting processes.
Establish standards that meet licensing and accreditation guidelines.
Participate in beneficial public health activities, such as an annual health fair.
Provide infection-control continuing education to staff and participate in new-employee orientation and annual updates.
Keep staff informed about regulatory, practice, and equipment changes needed to maintain compliance.
Prepare agendas and minutes for Performance Improvement Committee meetings; report data to QI and NRC monthly.
Track medication errors by nurse and report them to the DON; monitor trends involving falls and behaviors and educate staff about concerns.
Attend staff meetings, in-services, educational programs, competency evaluations, annual reviews, and skills fairs as required.
Follow organizational policies, confidentiality requirements, professional conduct standards, and applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations; report suspected illegal or unethical conduct.
Use assigned electronic protected health information systems only to the minimum extent necessary for job functions.
Perform other duties as required; responsibilities may change with or without notice.