Head Nurse - Infection Control jobs in Daytona Beach, FL

JOB TITLE: Infection Preventionist Nurse Job Description

SUPERVISOR: DON

DEPARTMENT: Nursing

GENERAL SUMMARY:

• The Infection Preventionist for the facility has the role of coordinating infection prevention and control duties and responsibilities.

• These duties and responsibilities may be in conjunction with other designated roles, depending on facility size and services.

• The duties and responsibilities are areas of accountability to the Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee (QA&A). The Infection Preventionist will coordinate these tasks through the Infection Control Committee.

• Specific surveillance and reporting systems will be developed, implemented, and maintained through the facility Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) processes, and presented to the QA & A Committee monthly.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Infection Preventionist will act as facilitator in the Infection Prevention and Control Sub-Committee as a part of the facility’s ongoing Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QA/PI) processes and Quality Assessment & Assurance program to

accomplish the following:

1. Assist in the development and implementation of written policies and procedures for the prevention and control of infectious or communicable diseases within the facility;

2. Assist in the development and implementation of written policies and procedures for techniques and systems for identifying infections within the facility;

3. Assist in the development and implementation of the content and scope of the employee health program and disseminating current information on health practices to employees;

4. Identify and coordinate response to actual or potential outbreaks of communicable illness or conditions within the facility related to residents or staff, following established protocols and recognized industry standard of practice for continuous quality improvement, and make recommendations of changes if indicated

5. Notify facility administrator, Director of Nursing, and appropriate government agencies of contagious or infectious diseases;

6. Review food handling practices, laundry practices, waste disposal, pest control, traffic control, visiting rules for high-risk areas, and sources of infection;

7. Evaluate tasks performed within the facility to determine risk exposure potential to pathogens and blood and/or body fluids;

8. Review and observing techniques used in maintenance of equipment, ice machines, water fountains, etc.to determine risk exposure potential to pathogens, and blood and/or body fluids;

9. Assist in the development and implementation of written policies and procedures for the care of residents who have contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases;

10. Monitor the health status of employees, ensuring that personnel receive (as necessary)

appropriate tests, chest x-rays, physicals, etc., prior to and during employment as

outlined in personnel policies and in accordance with federal and state guidelines;

11. Ensure that employees with infectious or communicable diseases follow necessary protective precautions and are not assigned resident care services;

12. Monitoring to ensure that the facility is maintained in a sanitary environment;

13. Ensure that infection control orientation and in-service training programs are provided to employees on a timely basis;

14. Review isolation techniques and procedures to assure that personnel, residents, and visitors are following established procedures/precautions;

15. Maintain current knowledge of current standard of practice and changes in isolation techniques and procedures when necessary and implement changes as indicated;

16. Review written infection control policies, techniques, and procedures at least annually for necessary revisions or updates;

17. Review cleaning procedures, agents, and schedules for use and efficacy, recommending changes indicated in cleaning products or techniques;

18. Monitor findings from resident care quality assessment activities that relate to infection control;

19. Evaluate the disposal systems for liquid and solid waste;

20. Assure that an adequate amount of protective supplies (i.e., gowns, gloves, masks, biohazard containers, etc.), are on hand for handling infectious wastes and/or blood/body fluids; and

21. Other duties as required, including quality assessment and assurance, or that may become necessary to ensure that the prevention and control of communicable diseases can be provided at times.

DAILY:

1. Review the 24 hour reports from units to identify current resident infections.

2. Review infection control and prevention techniques implemented for each resident with a new infection to assure that techniques are appropriate to control and treat the infection and prevention for reoccurrence for the individual resident and spread to other residents is appropriate.

3. Review staff call-ins related to infection, document type of infection and track the work assignment of the staff member if in a resident service area during incubation period. Track to possible resident patterns of infection.

4. Observe and reinforce written policies and procedures relating to infection control practices while touring the resident care areas in the facility.

5. Visit new admissions to review infectious risk and appropriate interventions as necessary. Complete, identify as high risk for infection and review appropriate

intervention techniques with the Unit Manager for care planning (residents with compromised immune systems, tube feedings, catheters, intravenous lines, wounds, other).

6. Follow-up on observations or reports indicating action is needed.

WEEKLY:

1. Check personal protective equipment supplies and utilization for shifts. Review this for nursing, laundry, housekeeping, and dietary.

2. Complete the individual infection control reports that are generated for the residents with infections (i.e., individual resident infection control reports). Validate this information (residents with infections) on the HCFA Roster Matrix 802 and the HCFA Census and Condition 672.

3. Schedule, administer and ensure timely reading and interpretation of TB skin tests for new staff.

4. Review new admission TB skin test administration and results, or chest x-rays to assure compliance and accuracy and are without evidence of tuberculosis infection.

5. Schedule, administer, and follow-up on Hepatitis vaccines offered to staff.

6. Schedule, administer, and follow-up on COVID and Flu vaccines offered to staff.

7. Identify and present issues related to infection prevention and control that require review by the Infection Control Committee.

8. Identify and implement Quality Improvement/Performance Improvement (QA/PI) Plans developed by the Infection Control Committee and/or Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee.

MONTHLY:

1. Develop and establish the infection control agenda for the Infection Control /QAAC. Represent Infection Control in this meeting and assure that committee

members, and others as necessary, are involved in the infection control aspects of the agenda.

2. Complete the Monthly Surveillance Report utilizing the individual resident reports, antibiotic list generated by pharmacy, and the culture statistics provided by the contracted lab.

3. Based on this information, complete the Infection Control Monthly Report, identifying facility trends and statistical analysis of resident infections.

4. Review employee infections and identify staff trends.

5. Present these reports in the monthly Infection Control Committee meetings.

6. Review at least two med passes, focusing on nursing techniques related to infection control, safety, and resident rights.

7. Review at least two treatments on two different shifts focusing on appropriate infection control techniques and resident rights.

8. Complete infection control rounds on at least two different shifts (alternating between three shifts over a quarter).

9. Make recommendations for in-service or training. Discuss with Director of Nursing. Provide this as needed or identify resources

10. Complete monthly infection control related audits, as needed.

QUARTERLY:

1. Complete the Quarterly Infection Control Report and Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee.

ANNUALLY:

1. Review Infection Control policies and procedures and make recommendations for necessary updating or revision to meet facility needs or changing regulations put out by CDC.

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Must be 18 years of age or older.

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.

• Must be licensed as a Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse or have obtained a temporary license in the State he/she will be working.

• Must have completed specialized training in infection prevention and control per federal regulations.

o Current enrollment in specialized training in infection prevention and control program may be considered with successful completion within 30 days of hire.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS PREFERRED:

• Working knowledge of nursing techniques and the relation to medical/ clinical practices.

• Ability to apply therapeutic clinical concepts and Carry out oral and written instructions.

• Ability to maintain records and make reports.

• Able to utilize appropriate resources and research applicable to infection prevention and control practices.

• Able to work with staff, medical director and physicians in establishing infection control practices.

• If not specifically trained as an infection control nurse, shall obtain specific training to meet qualifications required.

• Ability to initiate, organize and maintain surveillance systems to track and identify facility infection prevention and control practices and trends.

• Ability to cooperate with team members toward facility goals.

• Good moral character and excellent physical and mental health.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

This position description reflects the general duties and responsibilities necessary to describe the principal functions of the job, as identified, and shall not be considered an exhaustive list of job responsibilities which may be inherent in the job. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. The responsibilities listed may be subject to change at any time and individuals may be asked to perform duties outside of their regular responsibilities to support the ongoing operations of Avante Group and its facilities.