Infection Preventionist- Registered Nurse (Full Time)

About North Country Healthcare (NCH):

North Country Healthcare is a non-profit affiliation of four medical facilities, Androscoggin Valley Hospital, North Country Home Health & Hospice Agency, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, and Weeks Medical Center, located in the White Mountains Region of New Hampshire. NCH includes numerous physicians and medical providers at multiple locations. This leading comprehensive healthcare network which employs hundreds of highly trained individuals delivers integrated patient care through three community hospitals, specialty clinics, and home health and hospice services. NCH remains committed to the health and well-being of the communities we serve. Our Leaders and Managers emphasize advancing High-Reliability Organization (HRO) principles, embedding a culture of safety, accountability, and consistent high performance. This position is 28 hours of Infection Preventionist RN work, 12 hours clinical in Med Surg.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Infection Preventionist, RN will assist with development and implementation of the North Country Healthcare infection prevention program with overarching goal of identifying and reducing the risk of endemic and healthcare associated infections among patients, personnel, medical staff, volunteers, visitors, students and other healthcare workers that may have contact with the facility. Direct and coordinate the Blood Borne Pathogen (BBP) Exposure Prevention Plan. Create, review, revise and manage all policies as they relate to infection prevention. Ensure compliance with all Federal, State and Local regulations as they pertain to infection prevention practices. This role emphasizes advancing High-Reliability Organization (HRO) principles, embedding a culture of safety, accountability, and consistent high performance in nursing practice.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare related field preferred, associate’s degree will be considered.
• Registered Nurse required.
• Certification in Infection Prevention and/or Employee Health desired/preferred.

Licensure:

• Current NH registered nursing license required.
• Association* accredited course in Basic Life Support (BLS) (for clinical staff), or HeartSaver CPR AED (for nonclinical staff), and renewal on a regular basis, with up to a three-month grace period after the expiration date.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Skills:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (WORD, EXCEL, PowerPoint).
• Must have ability to work in a team-oriented environment.

• Must work effectively with others both inside and outside the organization.
• Must be able to travel outside the organization for meetings and conferences.

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of nursing experience, with a focus on occupational health, public health, or employee wellness preferred.
• Experience in designing and implementing health promotion initiatives and educational programs preferred.
• Familiarity with state and federal health regulations related to occupational health preferred.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• 40-hour position. 28 hours Infection Control, 12 hours clinical. Schedule can be flexible.
• Participate in committee assignments as appropriate i.e. Infection Prevention Committee, Diversion Team, Safety Committee, and Emergency Preparedness to ensure staff are adequately protected during disasters and/or emergencies.
• Ensure that Infection Prevention Plan is current, reflects best practices and is implemented throughout organization and in compliance with OSHA regulations as well as all other applicable Federal, State and Local regulations. Review plan on an annual basis and revise as necessary.
• Ensure appropriate surveillance of the facility to identify infections, communicable diseases and disease outbreaks by reviewing lab reports and clinical data. Ensure appropriate surveillance of environmental services to verify that techniques, equipment, and tools meet infection prevention standards.
• Monitor the Hospital Acquired Infection Rate and the Surgical Site Infection Rate and submit regular reports to the Infection Prevention committee. Submit surveillance data to federal, state and local regulators as required.
• In conjunction with the Quality Improvement, design, implement and measure the success of hospital wide quality improvement initiatives related to infection prevention (eg: Employee flu vaccinations; Hand Hygiene; hospital acquired UTIs, etc.).
• Monitors and executes vaccination programs for both new hires and current staff including but not limited to Hepatitis-B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, and Varicella. Consults with Physician re: administration and standing orders. Maintains all employee health records.
• Determines real and potential health problems and hazards and works in conjunction with other organization personnel to develop and implement programs to reduce and/or eliminate these in the workplace. Assist with Safety Committee goals and specialized safety programs including, but not limited to, coordinating the monthly Sharps Prevention Committee.
• Investigate Disease Outbreaks -- Identify suspected infectious disease outbreaks and conduct immediate investigation.
• Take measures to contain confirmed infectious disease outbreaks as delineated in the Infection Prevention Plan.
• Notify the State Health Department, CMO, CNO, Human Resources and the safety officer of any suspected or confirmed infectious disease outbreaks. Prepare written report summarizing actions taken during outbreak, effectiveness of said measures and resolution of outbreak.
• Submit report to Quality Control and other interested parties in a timely manner.
• Notify the appropriate responsible party of the risk and take action to ensure that risk is remediated in a reasonable timeframe.
• Infection Prevention/Risk Assessment Policy and Procedure Review. Review all department policies on an annual basis.
• Ensure that all policies are current and reflect best practices. Ensure that all policy changes are reviewed by appropriate, involved personnel in accordance with policy management procedures. Ensure that all significant policy changes are reviewed and approved by the Infection Prevention Committee. Ensure that all employees are appropriately in-serviced and trained when policy changes occur.
• Professional Development Stay current on all relevant APIC, CDC, and DHHS standards, guidelines, and recommendations, as well as other professional literature and sources.
• Keep abreast of current developments in Infection Prevention by:
  • Attend State Infection Prevention (NHICEP) meetings, maintain communications with other Infection Prevention Practitioners, and participate in relevant email listservs.
  • Acts as a trusted resource to others; becomes involved in decision making. Acts independently and responsibly on behalf of patients (customers/team) needs, problems, and opportunities.
  • Maintain current reference materials related to Infection Prevention and make such material available to personnel.
  • Review professional journals and websites for pertinent articles and distribute to appropriate personnel.
• Clinical Aspect - Job Description – This position will require 12 hours clinical.
  • The Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for managing individualized patient care by promoting and restoring patients' health through the nursing process; collaborating with physicians and multidisciplinary team members; providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends, and families; and supervising assigned team members. The RN is responsible to their Nurse Manager and ultimately, Chief Nursing Officer.
• Must have proficient oral and written communication skills and excellent interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills. Current clinical experience preferred.

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Performs additional duties as assigned.
2. Adheres to facility Values, Service Excellence and Standards of Excellence.