Registered Nurse (Infection Preventionist)

Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration in Salt Lake City seeks an Infection Preventionist Registered Nurse to improve patient outcomes through evidence-based infection control practices. The IP conducts surveillance, identifies infection risks, and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to reduce transmission among patients, staff, visitors, and students.

The role requires substantial nursing expertise, licensure in the United States, and participation in ongoing education per VA standards.

Qualifications

• RN with license in a US state or territory
• English language proficiency required by VA regulations
• BSN or equivalent nursing degree required by accreditation bodies (ACEN/CCNE)
• Foreign nursing education requires degree equivalency validation if applicable

Responsibilities

• Surveils for hospital-acquired infections using National Healthcare Safety Network definitions.
• Implements MDRO prevention initiatives.
• Identifies and investigates infection outbreaks and recommends prevention measures.
• Provides infection prevention education to care teams.
• Collaborates with departments to ensure regulatory compliance and improve patient safety.

Skills

Infection control

Surveillance

Data analytics

Leadership

Communication

Education

BSN or higher

Nursing license (RN)

Job description

Summary

The Infection Preventionist (IP) Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities to improve patient and organizational outcomes. The IP is responsible for providing expert - evidence-based infection control practices. The IP establishes surveillance indicators and conducts monitoring to identify and reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting infections among patients - employees - visitors - and students.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• English Language Proficiency
• In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program
• Upon achievement of a State license - the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program
• (Reference VA Handbook 5005 - Appendix G6)
• OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing - possession of a current - full - active - and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program
• Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD)
• Current - full - active - and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State - Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. - Puerto Rico) of the United States - or the District of Columbia
• Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements - but do not possess the required licensure - may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.) NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification
• Grade Determinations: The following Scope - Education and Dimension criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates - and if appropriate - the level within a grade
• The Dimension requirements (Practice - Veteran/Patient Driven Care - Leadership - Professional Development and Evidence-Based Practice/Research) are detailed for each grade and level within the online assessment: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13095262
• Grade/Level Scope Education Nurse I - Level I Delivers fundamental - knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies
• An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing - with no additional professional nursing required
• Nurse I - Level II Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts - cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex
• An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 1 year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 1 ;OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional professional nursing experience required
• Nurse I - Level III Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning
• Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations
• An ADN or Diploma in Nursing AND 2 years of professional nursing experience in which one year is equivalent to Nurse I - Level 2
• OR a BSN and 1 year of professional nursing experience equivalent to the Nurse I - Level 2
• OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) and no additional professional nursing experience
• OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and no additional professional nursing experience
• Nurse II Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others
• A BSN with 2 years of professional nursing equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3
• OR an MSN with one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3
• OR a Master's degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse I - Level 3
• OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with no professional nursing experience
• OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN with no professional nursing experience
• Nurse III Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership - experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting
• MSN and 2 years of specialized nursing experience - one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• OR a Master's degree in *related field with BSN and two years of specialized nursing experience - one of which is equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• OR a Doctoral degree in Nursing with and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• OR a Doctoral degree in a *related field with a BSN and one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse II and meets all dimension requirements for Nurse III
• *Note: Foreign education programs/degrees are not creditable as related degrees
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Preferred Experience: Masters prepared Registered Nurse Certification in Infection Control (CIC) and expertise in infection prevention - control - and healthcare epidemiology
• Experience with data analytics
• Experience leading collaborative projects and leading interdisciplinary team/network
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to maintain effective working relationships across the healthcare system
• Demonstrate ability in program development - oversight - and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ability to communicate policies - goals - and complex data clearly and concisely in both written and verbal formats
• Ability to collaborate effectively and use group processes to identify - analyze and resolve problems
• Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction
• This position involves considerable standing - walking - stooping - bending - reaching - lifting and turning
• The work may involve pushing or lifting weight in excess of 50 pounds and going up and down flights of stairs
• Requires visual and auditory acuity at a level to provide safe and effective care
• Requires the individual to work for periods of time with arms above shoulder level or with the neck in a fully flexed or extended position and the ability to physically control or protect him/herself from physically abusive patients
• Requires the individual to travel in an automobile for several hours at a time.

Duties

• A Career at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Major Duties: Surveils for hospital acquired infections using National Healthcare Safety Network definitions
• Implements the multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO)Prevention Initiative
• Identifies and investigates all potential outbreaks of infection
• Develops measures for prevention and control of infections using the interdisciplinary approach
• Provides in-service education related to infection control to care teams
• Performs of environmental studies as necessary to investigate epidemics - augment educational efforts - and monitor sterilization activities
• Reviews and revises as necessary - Infection Prevention and Control policies in conjunction with individual care teams
• Serves as consultants to the Occupational Health Program and care teams
• Serves as liaison to Sterile Processing Service to assist in compliance with reusable medical equipment (RME) requirements Collaborates with Engineering and Facilities Management on Legionella and construction related dust abatement
• Serves as liaison to local health departments in reporting communicable diseases and consulting on issues related to community health
• Reviews requirements by the Joint Commission - Occupational Safety and Health - Office of Inspector General and other external surveying bodies and advising the VASLCHCS in meeting those requirements
• Reviews the Infection Prevention and Control Programs - for the hospital - home care and behavioral health - annually
• Recommends new or revised practices or procedures based on currently accepted - evidence-based infection prevention and control strategies
• Reviews - analyzes - and applies pertinent information from current scientific literature and publications
• Recognizes populations who are at high risk for infection - utilizes the principles of human growth and development to assess patient's requirements relative to age specific needs
• Applies epidemiological principles and statistical methods - including risk stratification - to identify target populations - analyzes trends and risk factors - and designs and evaluates prevention and control strategies
• Uses appropriate statistical techniques to describe the data - calculate rates - and critically evaluate significance of findings
• Develops the organization's surveillance plan based on the population(s) served - services provided - and previous surveillance data - if available
• Uses standardized definitions for the identification and classification of events - indicators - or outcomes
• Analyzes data utilizing internal and external (if appropriate) benchmarks
• Reports epidemiologically significant findings to appropriate parties in a timely manner
• Evaluates the effectiveness of the surveillance plan annually
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary - regular salary increases - potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: M-F 0730-1600 (tour maybe adjusted based on needs) Telework: This position is authorized for telework-situational (ad-hoc) AND has not been authorized as remote
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized