Infection Control Preventionist

Casa of Hobart is currently hiring an experience Infection Control Preventionist (ICP)who is looking for a great career opportunity with excellent compensation & benefits. Become part of our growing team of talented professionals 

  Job Summary:

The infection preventions (IP) is responsible for the facility infection prevention and control program (IPCP), which is designed to provide a safe, sanitary, and comfortable environment and to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections. The Infection Control Preventions (ICP) also establishes and coordinates an organization-wide program for the prevention, surveillance and control of nosocomial infection and communicable disease through processes based on current scientific knowledge, accepted practice guidelines and applicable law and regulation.

Job Description: A system for preventing, identifying, reporting, investigating, and controlling infections and communicable diseases for all residents, staff, volunteers, visitors, and other individuals providing services under a contractual arrangement based upon the facility assessment... and following accepted national standards;

Must perform the following duties and responsibilities:  

Ø  Conduct research and studies to identify disease patterns in public or within a facility

Ø  Develop programs and initiatives that will reduce the chance of contracting disease

Ø  Conduct interviews to better understand the spread of disease

Ø  Collect samples and conduct lab work to recognize problem area

Ø  Collaborate with the facility leadership and the medical director to develop, implement, and evaluate the annual infection prevention goals and action plan

Ø  Partner with facility leaders, physicians, and local, state, and national agencies on activities related to infection prevention

Ø  Establish a facility-wide system for the prevention, identification, investigation, and control of infections of residents, staff, and visitors, including surveillance designed to identify possible communicable diseases or infections before they spread

Ø  Conduct outbreak investigations

Ø  Maintain a system for reporting possible incidents of communicable diseases to local, state, or national agencies as required

Ø  Oversee the antibiotic stewardship program and monitor residents’ antibiotic use

Ø  Assess the need for, develop, and present IPCP in-service education for individual departments, general orientation, and annual review as needed;

Staff Education includes but is not limited to:

Ø  Hand hygiene, cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization

Ø  Specific direct and indirect care settings

Ø  Therapeutic and diagnostic procedures and devices

Ø  Use of isolation/barrier precautions when indicated

Ø  Resident placement, transfer, and discharge

Ø  Environmental hazards

Ø  Use of patient care products and medical equipment

Ø  Resident immunization programs

Written standards, policies, and procedures for the program, which must include, but are not limited to:

Ø  A system of surveillance designed to identify possible communicable diseases or infections before they can spread to other persons in the facility;

Ø  When and to whom possible incidents of communicable disease or infections should be reported;

Ø  Standard and transmission-based precautions to be followed to prevent spread of infections;

Ø  When and how isolation should be used for a resident;The type and duration of the isolation, depending upon the infectious agent or organism involved, and a requirement that the isolation should be the least restrictive possible for the resident under the circumstances.

• Ø  Personnel must handle, store, process, and transport linens so as to prevent the spread of infection. The facility will conduct an annual review of its IPCP and update their program, as necessary.
• Ø  Enforce policies prohibiting staff with communicable diseases or infected skin lesions from direct contact with residents and their food, and enforce hand hygiene policies consistent with accepted standards of practices residents, staff, volunteers, and visitors
• Ø  Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations and ensure that the facility leaders are informed of appropriate issues; understand and comply with infection control, safety, and OSHA procedures and regulations
• Ø  With advanced skills and knowledge, the responsibilities of an infection control nurse include: Gathering and analyzing infection data, facts and trends to other healthcare personnel. Providing training and education to other medical professionals and civilians on prevention techniques.
• Ø  An infection control practitioner engages in constant monitoring to ensure that facility personnel follow protocol. An infection control practitioner works closely with other members of a patient's care team. An infection control practitioner may work directly with patients who are immunocompromised

The circumstances under which the facility must prohibit employees with a communicable disease or infected skin lesions from direct contact with residents or their food, if direct contact will transmit the disease; and the hand hygiene procedures to be followed by staff involved in direct resident contact. A system for recording incidents identified under the facility’s IPCP and the corrective actions taken by the facility.

Assess the need for, develop, and implement written policies and procedures for infection control, including those for standard precautions and for transmission-based precautions, including when these should be used, the duration of use, and the type of precautions needed for a particular infection or organism

Serve as a member of the quality assessment and assurance committee

Be accountable for surveillance of healthcare-acquired and community-acquired infections for the facility

Qualifications

·         Must posses a current license as an RN or LPN in the state where the center is located

·         Must possess as a minimum, a Nursing degree from an accredited college or university, or graduated of an approved program

·         Current CPR certification is required

·         Prior work/life experiences, preferably in a healthcare setting