Full-Time
Registered Nurse Infection Preventionist
Updated on 8/1/2026
Kaweah Health
1,001-5,000 employees
Non-profit hospital system delivering trauma care
Compensation Overview
$46.44 - $69.66/hr
Visalia, CA, USA
In Person
 Medical, Clinical & Veterinary (1) |
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- A California registered nurse license is required.
- Eligibility to obtain Board Certified in Infection Control certification from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology within three years of hire or transfer is required.
- A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is required.
- A minimum of three years of registered nurse hospital experience is required.
- Experience with data management is required.
- Ability to use personal computer-based information management systems and databases, with proficiency in Microsoft Office, is required.
- Positive customer service skills are required.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required.
- Ability to educate and influence staff at all levels of the organization is required.
- Detail-oriented performance with strong organizational and time management skills is required.
- Lead and coordinate clinical infection prevention and control activities to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections and promote patient safety outcomes.
- Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and interdisciplinary teams to implement infection prevention measures and improve clinical care practices.
- Conduct clinical surveillance, assessment, and analysis of infection data to identify trends, evaluate patient care practices, and support evidence-based interventions.
- Apply nursing knowledge and clinical judgment to evaluate infection risks, support patient-centered care, and recommend appropriate prevention interventions.
- Inspect the environment to identify infection improvement issues.
- Investigate healthcare-associated infections, outbreaks, and exposure incidents, and coordinate clinical response, reporting, and corrective action plans.
- Complete healthcare-associated infection-related reports and data and submit them to the manager for further analysis when necessary.
- Provide clinical consultation and guidance regarding isolation precautions, transmission-based precautions, communicable diseases, and infection control best practices.
- Collaborate with others in the management of patients with special or communicable diseases.
- Develop, review, and implement infection prevention policies and procedures aligned with regulatory, accreditation, and professional standards.
- Educate healthcare personnel, patients, and families on infection prevention principles, safe clinical practices, and disease transmission prevention strategies.
- Perform clinical audits, rounding, and compliance monitoring activities to evaluate adherence to infection prevention standards and nursing practices.
- Serve as a clinical resource and subject matter expert for infection prevention practices, epidemiology principles, and healthcare-associated infection reduction strategies.
- Conduct special surveys as directed by the Infection Prevention Manager.
- Support regulatory compliance and accreditation readiness activities associated with infection prevention, patient safety, and quality improvement requirements.
- Actively participate in research related to infection prevention and control.
- Monitor patients placed in transmission-based precautions.
- Participate in organizational quality improvement, patient safety, and emergency preparedness initiatives related to infectious diseases and public health response efforts.
- Act as a liaison with public health officials during case investigation and follow-up to prevent or control infection transmission.
- Provide care and services appropriate to the population served on the assigned unit or work area, accounting for cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age-specific patient and family needs.
- Effectively communicate and care for patients and families as reflected in the Plan for Provision of Care.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Five years of registered nurse hospital experience.
Kaweah Health is a public, not-for-profit health system based in Visalia, California, serving the Central Valley since 1963. It operates a 581-bed medical center, a large outpatient clinic, and several facilities, offering emergency care, cancer treatment, cardiovascular services, rehabilitation, and other medical services. It is the largest hospital system in Tulare County and a certified trauma center. As a not-for-profit, it reinvests earnings back into the community to fund new services, facilities, and programs, with a strategic focus on accessible, high-quality healthcare. The organization has launched an financial recovery plan, “Operation Back in Black,” to improve finances through revenue enhancement and cost reduction, and partners with Medline to enhance supply chain and operational efficiency. Its goal is to provide broad, high-quality healthcare to its community while strengthening financial sustainability and expanding services as needed.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$8.7M
Headquarters
Visalia, California
Founded
1963
Get referred to Kaweah Health
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Tulare clinic expansion increases outpatient access and regional patient capture.[1][18]
- Workforce partnerships improve nursing and allied-health supply for operations.[3]
- Medline partnership supports supply-chain discipline during financial recovery efforts.
What critics are saying
- Persistent nursing vacancies raise overtime costs and constrain bed utilization.[3]
- Employment litigation increases settlement expense and damages recruiting credibility.
- Recovery plan pressure leaves little buffer for payer mix or staffing shocks.
What makes Kaweah Health unique
- Largest hospital in Tulare County, with 52 regional locations.[2][11]
- Public, not-for-profit district reinvests earnings into local facilities and programs.
- Trauma center with comprehensive services across cancer, cardiovascular, and rehabilitation.[4][11]
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Flexible Work Hours
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 8%1 year growth
↑ 8%2 year growth
↑ 8%Kaweah Health board appoints Jonna Schengel as Zone 2 representative. The Kaweah Health Board of Directors has appointed Jonna Schengel, PT, MA, Ed.D., to serve as the Zone 2 representative, filling the seat vacated by the retirement of Lynn Havard Mirviss, RN, Ed.D. Schengel will serve out the remainder of the term through Dec. 4, 2026. Schengel is currently the Dean of Career Technical Education (CTE) and Workforce Development, Industry and Technology, Manufacturing, Nursing and Allied Health at College of the Sequoias (COS). Selected from a pool of highly qualified candidates, she brings extensive expertise in healthcare education and workforce development to the board. A Visalia resident since 1991, Schengel has deep roots in the local healthcare community. She worked as a physical therapist and founded Central California Physical Therapy Specialists before selling the practice in 2011. At COS, she developed the physical therapist assistant program and significantly expanded the nursing program, further demonstrating her commitment to building the regional healthcare workforce. "I understand how important Kaweah Health is to the vitality of the Central Valley, not just for the employees who work here, but also for the patients," Schengel said. "Ultimately, I want Kaweah Health to be the premier provider of healthcare in the Central Valley." With her strong background in health sciences and educational leadership, Schengel looks forward to contributing her experience, perspective, and commitment to supporting the mission and future of Kaweah Health. Kaweah Health is the community name for the Kaweah Delta Health Care District, a public hospital district serving the greater Visalia area. The district covers 183 square miles, encompassing all of Visalia and Goshen and parts of Ivanhoe and Farmersville. The district is divided into five equally populated zones, each represented on the board by a locally elected member. Board members serve four-year terms and may run for re-election without limit.
Kaweah Health graduates nursing staff as shortage plagues county. VISALIA, Calif. - Kaweah Health has graduated an inaugural class of nurses under a new partnership that seeks to address a shortage in Tulare County. In 2020, the hospital partnered with Unitek College, an institution that offers higher education in medicine and nursing throughout the country. It has physical campuses in California, Nevada, and New Mexico. Thirteen graduates received their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees this month. The new nurses come at an opportune time, as there has been a decline in the number of people working in hospitals across the nation and the Central Valley. The COVID-19 pandemic left significant impacts in the medical field - like stress and excessive workloads - which made the nursing shortage worsen... Kaweah Health officials say the hospital faced a 25% nursing shortage in 2021. That figure sparked the urge to close the gap and improve nurse capacity in the county. The college proposed creating a program within Kaweah Health for prospective nurses who are interested in studying and working at the same time. Dianne Cox, chief human resources officer at Kaweah Health, says the nursing shortage at its hospital is now 7%. "We have 70 vacancies of registered nurses and about 1000 direct patient care registered nurses positions available. We're doing very well with recruitment and retention," Cox said. "We really believe that we will have solved our nursing shortage in Visalia and Tulare County." The program is primarily available to hospital employees, though there are some exceptions. To apply, employees must go through a testing process and provide references. Currently, 160 employees are enrolled. After the 13 graduates who completed the program this month, the hospital expects roughly 50 participants will graduate each year after. Interim Chief Nursing Officer Scott Baker says this program has great potential, especially since it could help fill vacancies by nursing staff who will soon retire. "As we grow this program, and as we hire more of these nurses, this is going to feed the hospital," Baker said. "Having this pool of nurses to pull in will refresh that, and as we grow them into clinical experts, it really balances out what we're going to be losing." Kaweah Health has also partnered in recent years with Porterville College and San Joaquin Valley College's radiologic technology program to boost training and medical staffing.
FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE) - Kaweah Health was recently recognized as being a top 100 hospital in the nation for spine surgery by Healthgrades.
Kaweah Health named in employment discrimination case.
You'll learn first-hand why so many have picked Kaweah Health to pursue their career in healthcare, and why Kaweah Health was named Healthgrades® America's 100 Best Hospitals™ for 2023.