Infection Preventionist (Full- Time - 40hrs/week) Day Shift

Lowell General Hospital; Lowell (MA); On-site; USD 92,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Lowell General Hospital is seeking an Infection Prevention Specialist III to join our Regulatory Compliance team. This role develops, implements, and monitors a system-wide infection prevention program across the hospital.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree, CIC certification (or within one year), and at least three years of clinical infection surveillance experience. Strong collaboration and leadership in infection control initiatives are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, public health, nursing, or behavioral science.
• Appropriate professional license or certification.
• Certified in Infection Control (CIC) or obtain within one year.
• Three years of clinical experience including surveillance for healthcare-associated infections.

Responsibilities

• Develops comprehensive infection control policies and procedures for the medical center and/or all departments.
• Performs epidemiological investigations.
• Identifies and implements infection control strategies across topics (Hand Hygiene, Cleaning, Disinfection, etc.).
• Recognizes outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections and collaborates with staff to address them.
• Leads PI teams and provides training for staff, clinicians, students, and volunteers.
• Acts as a consultant on infection control problems to various hospital departments.

Skills

Joint Commission standards

Infection control training

Adult learning principles

Data surveillance analysis

Interpersonal communication

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Adaptability

Professional ethics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Nursing, or Behavioral Science

Master’s degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Nursing, or Behavioral Science

Tools

MS Office suite

Infection control software

Job description

Lowell General Hospital is seeking an Infection Prevention Specialist III to join our Regulatory Compliance team! This position will work out of our Lowell General Hospital location(s).

Job Overview

This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring a system-wide infection prevention program which includes the surveillance of health care associated and community acquired infections in patients and employees and the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections. Functions as a consultant and advisor to clinical personnel to solve infection control problems.

Minimum Qualifications

• 1. Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Nursing, or Behavioral Science.
• 2. Appropriate professional license or certification based on educational background.
• 3. Certified in Infection Control (CIC) OR Obtain within one (1) year of hire.
• 4. Three (3) years of clinical experience, including performing surveillance for health care associated infections.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1. Master’s degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Nursing, or Behavioral Science.
• 2. Five (5) years of clinical experience.
• 3. Formal training in epidemiology/infection prevention.

Hours

40hrs/week / Day Shift 7:30am-4pm

Location

Lowell General Hospital (Main, Saints and offsite locations) Must be able to travel between locations as needed

Duties and Responsibilities

• 1. Develops comprehensive infection control policies and procedures for the medical center and/or all departments from published guidelines, standards, and research.
• 2. Performs necessary epidemiological investigation.
• 3. Identifies and implements infection control strategies according to specific topics: Hand Hygiene; Cleaning, Disinfection, Sterilization; Environmental Hazards; Use of patient care products, equipment and devices; Construction and renovation; Influx of patients with communicable diseases; Use of barrier precautions when indicated; Patient immunization programs; and Reduction of hospital acquired infections.
• 4. Recognizes outbreaks of healthcare associated infections through reviewing cultures, medical records, attending laboratory rounds, consulting with nursing and medical staff.
• 5. Makes recommendations for improvement and works with relevant departments and staff to implement and monitor improvements.
• 6. Investigates patient, visitor, and employee exposure to infectious diseases and follows-up with appropriate infection control procedures.
• 7. Leads Performance Improvement (PI) teams.
• 8. Provides and develops orientation and training for medical center staff, licensed independent practitioners, students/trainees, and volunteers and as appropriate to visitors, patients and families.
• 9. Acts as a consultant to employees, medical and nursing staff, Employee Health and various other Hospital departments regarding infection control problems and policies.
• 10. Evaluates infection control aspects of patient care products, equipment, and supplies.
• 11. Collaborates and consults with Emergency Management, Safety Officer, Design and Construction and Supply Chain.
• 12. Actively leads and participates on the Infection Control Committee.
• 13. Actively participates in JCAHO preparedness and survey readiness efforts.
• 14. Collaborates with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to coordinate reporting of communicable diseases to appropriate local and state health departments and agencies.
• 15. Actively keeps current with evolving field of infection prevention through networking opportunities, publications, collaboratives and certifications.
• 16. Assists in monitoring compliance of staff to infection control procedures.
• 17. Demonstrates use of PI tools and methods to achieve reliability in systems and processes.

Physical Requirements

• 1. Frequent sitting, occasional standing & walking, and lifting of 5-10 lbs.
• 2. Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate computer keyboard.
• 3. Requires ability to see computer screen and reports.

Skills & Abilities

• 1. Knowledgeable of Joint Commission accreditation standards and CMS Conditions of Participation.
• 2. Ability to serve as content expert for development and implementation of infection control standards.
• 3. Ability to develop and deliver training sessions according to principles of adult learning.
• 4. Ability to apply critical reading skills to evaluate published research findings.
• 5. Proficient in Windows-based operating software and systems that include MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access and MS PowerPoint and ability to learn and use infection control software or other databases.
• 6. Analytical abilities needed to apply and use surveillance data.
• 7. Effective interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• 8. Ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with physicians, nurses, and a variety of medical center personnel, and to provide formal instruction.
• 9. Must be a team player and have proven success applying a team approach and ability to work in conjunction with physicians, clinical managers, directors, and front-line staff in a supportive way to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• 10. Ability to address difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
• 11. Maintains sensitivity, maturity, and flexibility in coping with difficult situations.
• 12. Ability to adapt quickly to changes within the work environment.
• 13. Highly motivated, success oriented, organized and strong work ethic, with ability to work under minimal supervision.

About Lowell General

For more than 125 years, Lowell General has served the Greater Lowell community with pride. We balance the first-rate care of a premier medical center with the warmth of a four-time Magnet-recognized community hospital. As a member of our team, you’ll join over 3,000 dedicated care providers to offer complete, connected care, when and where patients need it most. At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day. The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals. Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth—one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it. Pay Range: $91,879.42 - $117,150.49 based on full-time equivalent Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community health care to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Healthcare, an expansive home care network and a large clinically integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated employees and caregivers. The health system came together in 2014 to leverage the experience of its member organizations and integrate their missions to together transform the ways that consumers engage with and experience their care.