Infection Preventionist - Ambulatory (Local)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking an Infection Prevention professional within the Quality, Safety & Risk Prevention department. The role will identify, investigate, monitor and report healthcare-associated infections, collaborating to create and sustain infection prevention strategies.

This local role supports the Middle Tennessee area, including the main campus and surrounding clinics, focusing on surveillance, reporting and prevention of infections across care settings.

Qualifications

• Identifies infectious diseases and develops a liaison role in public health disease reporting and emergency preparedness/emerging disease notification.
• Prevents and controls transmission of infectious agents through evidence-based infection prevention policies and procedures.
• Develops management and communication strategies to support planning, feedback and quality/performance improvement.
• Delivers training and educational offerings relative to infection prevention for staff, students, volunteers, patients and families.
• Collaborates on counseling and follow up related to communicable diseases/exposures in patients and staff.
• Monitors safe care environment elements (HVAC, humidity, water standards, construction impacts).
• Evaluates cleaning, sterilization, and disinfection practices and applies guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating infection prevention surveillance and epidemiologic investigations.
• Identify infectious diseases and liaise with public health for reporting and data coordination.
• Develop and apply infection prevention strategies across departments and external partners.
• Design and deliver training on infection prevention for diverse groups.
• Collaborate on counseling and work restrictions related to communicable diseases.

Skills

Infection prevention

Public health liaison

Training & education

Performance improvement

Leadership

Job description

Discover Vanderbilt Health : With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region's largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you'll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

Quality, Safety & Risk Prevent

Job Summary:

Responsible for identifying, investigating, monitoring, and reporting healthcare-associated infections. Collaborates with teams and individuals to create infection prevention strategies, provide feedback, and sustain infection prevention strategies.

(Note: This role is a local role based in the Middle Tennessee area and supporting VUMC main campus and surrounding clinics in the Middle Tennessee area)

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist in planning, developing, implementing, managing and evaluating infection prevention surveillance and epidemiologic investigation activities through a collaborative role with the department leadership as evidenced by the Infection Control Plan. Utilize epidemiologist principles to conduct surveillance and investigations.
• Identifies infectious diseases and develops a liaison role in public health disease reporting and emergency preparedness/emerging disease notification. Evaluates reports for communicable diseases as required by Tennessee State Law Chapter 1200-14-1 Notifiable Diseases to local and state health departments for completeness and coordinates with state and local health department officials for missing data.
• Preventing and controlling the transmission of infectious agents through evidence based infection prevention policies and procedures through collaboration with internal and external groups by identifying infection prevention strategies related to hand hygiene, control of environmental pathogens (Legionella, Aspergillus, etc.), recall of potentially contaminated equipment, food, medication, supplies, and transmission based precautions.
• Develops management and communication strategies to facilitate planning, communication and feedback, and quality/performance improvement and safety activities. Utilizes Performance Improvement methodology as a means of enacting change.
• Designs and delivers training and educational offerings relative to infection prevention for staff/faculty, students, volunteers, patients and families on the educational level appropriate for each group based on assessment of the learning needs.
• Collaborate regarding counseling, follow up, and work restriction recommendations related to communicable diseases/exposures in patients, employees, and communities.
• Recognizes and monitors elements important for a safe care environment including heating, ventilation, humidity, water standards, and construction issues that impact patient care settings.
• Identifies and evaluates appropriate cleaning, sterilization, and disinfection practices and quality control measures. Applies expert organizations' sterilization and disinfection recommendations to facilitate compliance and make recommendations.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Infection Prevention Research (Intermediate): Incorporates research constructs into the IP program in order to synthesize, apply and evaluate research while applying evidence based IP principles in challenging and complex situations.
• Professional Stewardship (Intermediate): Demonstrates accountability through communication, education, relationship building, and behavior change.
• Infection Prevention (Intermediate): Demonstrates infection prevention skills in practical applications. Trains and educates by setting the example and giving technical instruction.
• Infection Prevention Informatics (Intermediate): Has a working knowledge of surveillance technology and leverages data inputs to help identify healthcare associated infections and other reportable infections as well as managing automated reporting.
• Continuous Process Improvement (Intermediate): Identifies, analyzes and improves upon existing business processes for optimization and to meet standards of quality. Coaches senior and executive leadership in defining metrics and goals.
• Leadership (Intermediate): Formulates a vision while motivating & guiding employees promoting engagement. Leaders state precise goals, ensures the commitment of individuals to those goals, defines the methods of measurement, and provides the incentive to accomplish measureable outcomes.

About the Department:

The Department of Quality, Safety, and Risk Prevention (QSRP) equips and empowers Vanderbilt Health faculty and staff at our Main Campus, Regional Hospitals