Job Description:

Performs and coordinates basic facility-wide surveillance activities aimed at preventing and controlling infections and the spread of infectious diseases in patients, employees, physicians and visitors.

Scope

The Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner has the authority to implement necessary corrective and preventive actions to protect patients, employees and visitors from the transmission of infectious disease. These include, but are not limited to:
Institution of appropriate isolation procedures,
Ordering appropriate environmental controls to be instituted at construction sites or in response to utility failures/problems (power, plumbing, etc.),
Obtaining surveillance cultures on patients, employees, or environment,
Restricting infectious or exposed personnel from returning to work during the potentially infectious period, in consultation with Occupation Health,
Closing or limiting admissions to a unit because of an infectious disease outbreak.

Job Essentials

Program Management and Leadership:
Completes, maintains and implements the current written infection prevention and control risk assessment/plan, at least annually or when significant changes occur.
Represents infection prevention and control on other facility-wide committees and to hospital and medical staff leadership.
Facilitates ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of prevention and/or control activities and interventions.
Prepares and provides infection prevention and control education for facility-wide healthcare workers.

Surveillance:
Collects, compiles, analyzes, and interprets facility associated infection (HAI) surveillance data related to patients, LIP’s, staff, students, volunteers, and visitors (as needed).
Assures that reportable diseases are communicated to county or state agencies.
Performs outbreak investigation of suspected outbreaks for infections. Institutes appropriate corrective actions to prevent or control outbreaks.

Regulatory Compliance:
Uses knowledge of infectious disease related regulatory requirements to developing methods and plans to meet standards, review existing and help develop new policies and guidelines for compliance to standards, and to assess compliance to standards.

Research and Quality Improvement:
Able to provide accurate and meaningful data to teams, committees and physician groups through appropriate use of data dictionaries, accurately assessing data needs, and using available resources to obtain data.
Appropriately applies statistical tools and quality improvement methodologies to present data.
Able to evaluate and make recommendations for system improvements using quality data, event and regulatory compliance reports.
Provides project management to assigned teams and/or multiple areas by providing leadership to focus areas and utilizing facilitation and assessment skills to develop evidence-based initiatives.

Patient Safety:
Incorporates infection prevention and control initiatives and knowledge of national, local, and system patient safety standards and trends to facility patient safety efforts.
Collaborates and consults with Risk Management, Compliance, Medical Staff, Nursing, and others by: compiling reports with recommendations, participating in maintenance of applicable Safety Plans, networking across departments and facilities to achieve objectives and goals, participating or facilitating patient safety improvement teams, and engaging and interacting with staff at all levels to encourage ownership of initiatives.

Practice Standardization & Policy Management:
Advocate and support standardization of policies and procedures by evaluating compliance, educating areas, and participating in the development of policies, procedures, processes, and forms.
Participate and/or develop, implement, revise, and review infection prevention and control policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, and related forms.
Coordinates facility infection prevention and control procedure development with consistent with companywide clinical policies and requirements.

Consultation and Education:
Provides new employee orientation (NEO) and ongoing consultation and education to employees, LIP?s, and patients/families regarding Infection Prevention and Control.
Educates and collaborates with organization-wide leaders to effectively participate in the design and implementation of the facility-wide infection control program.


Minimum Qualifications

- Current license to practice nursing in the state of Montana or Bachelor’s degree in Epidemiology, Microbiology, Public Health, or Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and/or Epidemiology, Microbiology, Public Health, Environmental Health or similar degree, required.
Minimum of three (3) years of experience in acute care hospital or health system, required.
Completion of NHSN Surveillance Courses or completion within six (6) months of hire, required.
Demonstrated knowledge of microbiology, laboratory procedures, aseptic technique and epidemiological techniques, required.
Ability to comprehend and utilize epidemiological/public health data and statistical methods, required.
Certification in Infection Control
Epidemiology (CIC) within two (2) years of hire, preferred.
At least two (2) years of Infection Control experience, preferred.

Physical Requirements:

Ongoing need for employee to see and read information, labels, assess patient needs, operate monitors, identify equipment and supplies.- and -Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require employee to verbally communicate as well as hear and understand spoken information, alarms, needs, and issues quickly and accurately, particularly during emergency situations.- and -Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy. This includes frequent computer use and typing for documenting patient care, accessing needed information, medication preparation, etc.- and -Expected to lift and utilize full range of movement to transfer patients. Will also bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment. Typically includes items of varying weights, up to and including heavy items.- and -Need to walk and assist with transporting/ambulating patients and obtaining and distributing supplies and equipment. This includes pushing/pulling gurneys and portable equipment, including heavy items. Often required to navigate crowded and busy rooms (full of equipment, power cords on the floor, etc).- and -May be expected to stand in a stationary position for an extended period of time.

Location:

Intermountain Health St Vincent Regional Hospital

Work City:

Billings

Work State:

Montana

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

The hourly range for this position is listed below. Actual hourly rate dependent upon experience.

$34.06 - $52.55

We care about your well-being – mind, body, and spirit – which is why we provide our caregivers a generous benefits package that covers a wide range of programs to foster a sustainable culture of wellness that encompasses living healthy, happy, secure, connected, and engaged.

Learn more about our comprehensive benefits packages for our Idaho, Nevada, and Utah based caregivers, and for our Colorado, Montana, and Kansas based caregivers; and our commitment todiversity, equity, and inclusion.

Intermountain Health is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

All positions subject to close without notice.