Infection Control and Employee Health Nurse

JOB DESCRIPTION: The Infection Control and Employee Health Nurse ensures all staff and patients have up-to-date immunizations, accurately maintains records, and provides ongoing infection control and employee health training. Also ensures all other Infection Control and Employee Health functions are completed timely and accurately across the system.

JOB RESPONSIBLITIES:

Infection Control:

1. Implement employee events for all staff on topics including: vaccinations, hand washing, and other employee and patient health topics. Ensure events are planned, communicated, and implemented to maximize participation system-wide.

2. Identify risks and hazards within the agency as part of the EOC committee.

3. Partner with Facilities Manager to ensure ICRA form is completed for facility projects.

4. Establish a system for the prevention, identification, investigation, and control of infectious diseases.

5. Maintain, review, and update policies and procedures within the agency related to infection control and employee health.

6. Effectively monitor the effects of intervention strategies on infection rates and modify the interventions as necessary.

7. Maintain complete and accurate vaccination records for patients.

8. Present monthly reports to Environment of Care Committee.

9. Present quarterly reports to Quality Council.

10. Present annual reports to Medical Executive Committee.

11. Ensure compliance with State, Federal, and Joint Commission requirements.

12. Enter and maintain data in VacTrAK in compliance with State guidelines.

13. Maintain all vaccines within State guidelines and complete all documentation with the Medical Director.

14. Is educated on changes, trends, and developments in infection control management of both child and adult psychiatric patients and is sought out as a subject matter expert and resource by other members of the nursing staff.

Employee Health:

1. Conduct employee health functions, which include: pre-employment health screening, maintenance of employee health files, and ensure annual employee health requirements.

2. Develop and deliver educational efforts that improves employee's understanding of their health and safety on the job.

3. Maintain complete and accurate employee health records, including initial and annual employee health requirements.

4. Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Minimum of an Associate's Degree in Nursing and a valid State of Alaska RN License. 2 years of nursing experience required.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

1) Able to frequently travel to assigned areas;

2) Ability to perform assignments with minimal supervision;

3) Ability to work successfully under highly stressful conditions;

4) Ability to make sound, independent judgments based on scientific and/or ethical principles;

5) Ability to collaborate with other multidisciplinary team members in an appropriate fashion;

6) Capability to adapt to varying workloads and work assignments on a constant basis;

7) Effective comprehensive reading skills, strong communication skills, written and verbal.

8) Excellent assessment skills.

9) Must have a working knowledge of computers.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE POSITON:

* Must be willing and able to execute the patient de-escalation methods, both verbal and physical.

* Must be able to complete new hire requirements such as State of Alaska Background Check and Drug Testing.

* Must be able to demonstrate special training, knowledge and skills specific to age groups, as well as job and/or program specific competency within the first three (3) months of training.

* Must be certified in CPR and Handle with Care Training within the first month of employment and annually thereafter.

* Must complete all mandatory in-services annually.

* Must be tested for Tuberculosis with a PPD skin test or chest x-ray upon hire; PPD skin test required annually or chest x-ray tri-annually thereafter.

GENERAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Working conditions for all employees are as follows, but not limited to a psychiatric hospital setting; some risk involved in the event of aggressive patient(s); work load may include day, evening, night, weekend and/or holiday shifts. The Infection Control Nurse is occasionally exposed to blood borne pathogens, and loud noise levels.

Mental demands described herein are representative of those which must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, but are not limited to the ability to remain calm in a stressful environment; and the emotional stability, physical stamina and agility to handle stress and respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Requirements include, but are not limited to the ability to communicate effectively with employees; the ability to effectively utilize communication equipment; the physical agility to manage clients needs; the ability to read, write.

* Frequently utilize physical ability for standing or sitting for long periods of time.

* Regularly utilize physical ability for speaking, hearing, and seeing with correction for close and distance vision, color discrimination, peripheral vision, depth perception and focusing ability. Speaking and hearing may be necessary for conversing with and assessing employees.

* Able to ascend/descend stairs and ramps; body agility is emphasized.

* Able to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist; bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee(s)

* Able to extend hands and arms in any direction

* Able to use upper and lower extremities to exert force in a pulling or pushing motion. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects

* Able to raise objects from a lower to higher position or from side-to-side.

* The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside.

* The worker is subject to hazards: Includes a variety of physical conditions

* Must be able to concentrate amidst distractions; must be able to perform work of a repetitive nature; must respond calmly to potentially volatile clients

* Mental demands include but are not limited to emotional stability, physical stamina and agility to handle stress and respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations.

* The worker is subject to odors from paint, carpet adhesives, and other construction and cleaning chemicals used for routine maintenance and building renovation.