Infection Preventionist, Senior, or Associate - Healthcare Epidemiology
***This is an open-pooled position. Applicants' education/experience will be considered and the position may be filled at a lower or higher level, as appropriate.***
Associate Infection Preventionist
JOB DESCRIPTION
Associate Infection Preventionist will be trained in infection control duties and will identify and control infections within the hospital and clinics under close supervision of an Infection Preventionist.
REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor's degree nursing, medical technology or related field.
- No experience required.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Assists IPs in evaluating the risks to patients and employees after exposure to infectious diseases and initiates work-up if necessary.
- Communicates with hospital staff about infection control problems and can facilitate application of policies and procedures to unique situations.
- Participates in environmental rounds and monitors compliance with established policies and procedures.
- Completes NSHN surveillance, enters data into the database, produces reports and can interpret results.
- Reviews microbiology reports and identifies unusual species of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance patterns that would require isolation or follow-up per policy.
- Completes daily isolation rounds and documents findings.
- Adheres to internal policies established for the department.
Infection Preventionist
JOB SUMMARY:
Infection Preventionist identifies and controls infections within the hospital and clinics.
REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor's degree nursing, medical technology or related field and two years of related experience.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Evaluates risks to patients and employees after exposure to infectious diseases and initiates work-up if necessary.
- Conducts a class on a specific infectious disease or control method.
- Communicates with hospital staff about infection control problems and can facilitate application of policies and procedures to unique situations.
- Participates in environmental rounds and monitors compliance with established policies and procedures.
- Completes NSHN surveillance, enters data into the database, produces reports and can interpret results.
- Reviews microbiology reports and identifies unusual species of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance patterns.
- Reads journals and shares information with other IP’s and with other healthcare workers.
- Completes daily isolation rounds and documents findings.
- Adheres to internal policies established for the department.
Senior Infection Preventionist
JOB SUMMARY:
Performs collection and analysis of data for infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship programs for the University of Texas Medical Branch and collaborates with Healthcare Epidemiologist and clinicians to implement preventive measures.
REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor's degree in nursing, medical technology or related field.
- Two (2) years of related experience in addition to four (4) years of infection control experience.
- Certification in Infection Control (by Certification Board of Infection Control).
Job Duties
- Collects and analyzes data that may include, but is not limited to incidence and trends of healthcare-associated infections, incidence and trends for epidemiologically significant organisms and antimicrobial usage.
- Implements isolation precautions as indicated.
- Identifies and investigates exposures to patients or personnel and collaborates with Employee Health to assure post-exposure management of personnel.
- Identifies practices that do not conform to infection prevention policies, guidelines, regulations or standards and apprises appropriate manager(s) of corrections needed.
- Assesses environment in patient care and/or patient care support environments to identify and address infection prevention concerns.
- Utilizes electronic surveillance system and submits data to HNSN or public health agency as required.
- Provides actionable data to clinicians and other stakeholders.
- Collaborates with stakeholders to prevent healthcare-associated or occupationally acquired infections and to assure compliance with policies, standards, and guidelines.
- Utilizes innovative teaching methods to educate all levels of personnel on infection prevention methods.
- Orients new personnel in Healthcare Epidemiology Department.
- Consults with personnel to provide guidance on infection prevention methods.
- Covers on-call pager as needed.
- Manages assigned project to eliminate healthcare-associated infections, improve compliance with infection prevention policies/standards/regulations, to prevent occupationally acquired infections, or to support improvements in antimicrobial stewardships. This may involve at least one patient care division and may include the healthcare system.
Equal Employment Opportunity
UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
