RN-Staff Development Coordinator/Infection Prevention Specialist

Emerald Heights is a Community of People Helping People. If you want to make a difference in the lives of our seniors, you will want to join our team. As a Staff Development Coordinator/Infection Preventionist, you will have the opportunity to greatly influence the care and service provided to our residents and create long-lasting relationships that will impact many lives.

Emerald Heights is a premier life plan community located in Redmond, Washington. We are dedicated to providing our residents the best senior living experience in the Puget Sound area and offer a full continuum of care from independent living to assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care.

1. Assess and identify training needs through evaluation of staff and by keeping abreast of relevant medical advances;
2. Provide in-service education for employees with emphasis on regulatory guidelines including OBRA, Requirements of Participation (RoPs), as well as other federal and state regulatory guidelines.
3. Meet training requirements established by policy, OBRA, and RoPs in terms of necessary hours and topics available to Team;
4. Provide new employee orientation for Team;
5. May perform Direct Care duties as required.
6. Ensure licensure/certification of department team members are current and active
7. Collaborate with interdisciplinary team to create new and update existing policies and procedures.
8. Liaison with community schools and nursing programs who come to campus.
9. Initiate, track, and monitor ongoing education in learning management system (e.g., Relias) for Health Services staff. Collaborate with HR to create education programs for staff outside of Corwin Center.
10. Teach CPR, First Aid, and DSHS classes to staff as needed.
11. Liaison to contracted labs, provide education to staff about appropriate lab use
12. Monitor and track all certifications (CPR, First Aid, Food Workers Cards) for all staff in health services, may delegate to unit specific manager (e.g., food services).
13. Participate in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement projects and meetings
14. Create and implement, in conjunction with the IDT, bi-yearly skills fair to monitor staff competencies based upon facility assessment
15. Provide education for all staff on the use of the Electronic Health Record
16. Participate on the Risk Management Committee and educate staff based upon recommendations from the committee.
17. Develop, implement, and evaluate an ongoing infection prevention and control program to prevent, recognize, and control the onset and spread of infections in order to provide a safe, sanitary, and comfortable environment.
18. Establish facility-wide systems for the prevention, identification, reporting, investigation, and control of infections and communicable diseases of residents, staff, and visitors.
19. Review and/or revise the facility's infection prevention and control program, its standards, policies, and procedures annually and as needed for changes to the facility assessment to ensure they are effective and in accordance with current standards of practice for preventing and controlling infections.
20. Maintaining documentation of infection prevention and control program activities.
21. Implement an annual infection control risk assessment process and participate in the facility's annual facility assessment review process.
22. Lead the facility's Infection and Prevention Control Committee. Develop action plans to address opportunities for improvement.
23. Participate on the facility's QAA Committee. Perform duties as assigned.
24. Evaluate (critically) research and evidence-based practices and incorporate appropriate findings into routine practice.
25. Develop and implement written policies and procedures in accordance with current standards of practice and recognized guidelines for infection prevention and control.
26. Develop regular and an annual surveillance plan based on the population(s) served, _services provided, and analysis of surveillance data.
27. Review microbiology culture and sensitivity report on a regular basis to identify types of organisms causing infections, antibiotic-resistant organisms, and transmission of organisms between residents.
28. Perform surveillance for infections, compile and analyze data, prepare and bring reports to the Infection Prevention and Control oversight committee.
29. Oversee the evaluation of dietary, laundry, housekeeping, maintenance, and nursing techniques to assure they are consistent with recommended infection control practices.
30. Conduct environmental rounds within the facility to identify potential breaches in infection control policies.
31. Safeguard against exposure to a potential source of infection.
32. Oversee the facility's antibiotic stewardship program.
33. Review the use of antibiotics (including comparing prescribed antibiotics with available susceptibility reports)
34. Involve the consultant pharmacist in identifying antibiotics prescribed for resistant organisms or other antibiotic use concerns
35. Assess education needs using the facility assessment, the infection control risk assessment, and process/outcome surveillance results
36. Develops and implements initial and ongoing infection control education to help staff comply with infection control practices.
37. Provide education related to infection prevention and control principles to staff, residents, and families (where appropriate).
38. Task-specific infection prevention and control training is discipline and tasks specific (e.g., insertion of urinary catheters, suctioning, intravenous care or blood glucose monitoring).
39. Follow-up competency evaluations to identify staff compliance.
40. Essential topics of infection prevention and control training include, but are not limited to routes of disease transmission, hand hygiene, sanitation procedures, MDROs, transmission-based precaution techniques, and the federally required OSHA education
41. Serve as resource for staff regarding infection prevention and control, including the identification of when a resident needs to be placed on isolation precautions.
42. Identifying the staff's roles and responsibilities for the routine implementation of the program as well as in the case of an outbreak of a communicable disease, an episode of infection, or the threat of a bio-hazard attack.
43. Report communicable/notifiable diseases to State and local public health departments as directed by State and Federal Law
44. Report findings of internal data analysis back to managers and personnel as performance feedback.
45. Establish and maintain a partnership with an infection control professional at a local hospital and/or public health agency to better understand infection control concerns in the community.
46. Communicate with other health care facilities regarding residents who transfer into or out of the facility to identify potential infectious diseases that may require infection control precautions.
47. Work with community partners and other healthcare facilities to help prevent transmission of infection during care transitions.
48. Collaborate with interdisciplinary team about resident care activities that increase risk of infection (i.e., use and care of urinary catheters, wound care, incontinence care, skin care, point-of-care blood testing, and medication injections).
49. Work with environmental services to prevent cross-contamination in the care environment.
50. Collaborate with dietary department leadership regarding food safety, including employee's health and hygiene, pest control, investigating potential food-borne illnesses, and waste disposal.
51. Collaborate with other departments in fulfilling requirements related to occupational health and safety. (I.e. employee health).
52. Communicate infection prevention and control information and data to various committees and healthcare workers across the organization as assigned.
53. Assess risk of occupational exposures to infectious disease.
54. Develop (or assist with) immunization and screening programs.
55. Apply work restrictions and recommendations related to communicable diseases _ or following an exposure.
56. Oversee OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Program and OSHA Respiratory Program

1. Clinical observation and assessment skills
2. Proficient computer skills necessary to complete documentation, review electronic health records and communicate with team members.
3. Minimum of two years of nursing experience or one year as a nursing supervisor
4. Current RN license in Applicable State
5. Current CPR certification
6. Must have a SDC certification per state regulation
7. Bachelors of Science in Nursing
8. Skilled Nursing or Senior Care experience
9. Teaching and educational program development experience preferred.

Please contact the Human Resource Department with any questions. Emerald Heights is an equal opportunity employer. We're prioritizing safety for our employees and residents, their families and our communities by requiring the COVID-19 vaccination for all employees.