RN - INFECTION CONTROL

UNM HOSPITALS; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Safety incentive pay ($6.00/hr)

Sign-On Bonus Available

Relocation Assistance Available

Job summary

UNM Hospitals in Albuquerque, NM seeks an Infection Control Nurse to plan, develop, and evaluate infection prevention activities across the MDC unit. You will instruct staff on proper procedures, identify infection trends, and generate reports used to analyze data for senior leadership.

The role covers neonatal to geriatric patient care, with responsibilities spanning surveillance, program development, and collaboration with hospital departments to maintain safety standards.

Qualifications

• Infection control concepts and practices
• Patient safety focus
• Data reporting and trend analysis
• Interdepartmental communication

Responsibilities

• Evaluates risk after exposure to infectious disease and documents processes
• Develops teaching methods for universal precautions and maintains training records
• Coordinates infection control programs and establishes population-specific classes
• Tracks surveillance data and analyzes infection trends for reports to leadership
• Participates in CQI/Infection Control committees and implements action plans
• Ensures compliance with health department and organizational infection control policies

Job description

Additional $6.00/hr. Safety Incentive Pay

Receive 17% Weekday Nights, 26% Weekend Nights and 15% Weekend Day shift differentials

Compensation Disclaimer

Compensation for this role is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to experience, education, and other business and organizational considerations.

Department: MDC - Medical

FTE: 1.00
Full Time
Shift: Days

Position Summary:
The MDC Infection Control Nurse plans, develops, organizes, directs, implements and evaluates infection prevention throughout the Metropolitan Detention Center. This position serves to instruct staff in proper infection control procedure, identify infection trends, and investigates infection control problems. In addition, the incumbent generates reports containing data used to analyze trends. Ensure adherence to Hospitals and departmental policies and procedures. Patient care assignment may include neonate, pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric age groups.

Detailed responsibilities:

• * EVALUATION - Evaluates risk of patients and employees after exposure to an infectious disease. Evaluates and recommends appropriate prophylaxis, reviews entire exposure process in accordance with organizational policies and assures appropriate documentation
• * DEVELOPMENT - Develops innovative teaching methods and plans for teaching universal precautions. Maintains documentation on infectious disease trainings
• * INFECTION CONTROL - Coordinates the infection control program including developing educational classes to meet the infection control needs of a given population
• * PROGRAMS - Acts on recognized trends of disease to establish control programs
• * PARTICIPATION - Participates in committee discussion and offers interventions as necessary
• * COMMUNICATION - Communicates with all staff about infection control problems, provides literature to support advice and action problems to establish protocols
• * PROTOCOLS - Uses medical literature to establish protocols for appropriate culturing of environment and patient care
• * TRACKING - Track and ensure appropriate isolation/negative pressure room maintenance
• * SURVEILLANCE - Activates surveillance during peak times of infectious diseases or during an outbreak. Tracks rates and types of infection through surveillance systems and report findings to the MDC Medical Director and Director of Nursing in conjunction with NM Department of Health
• * EXPOSURE - Reviews entire exposure process and assure appropriate documentation
• * ASSESSMENT - Completes and maintains the annual risk assessment
• * TESTING - Provides fit testing for employees
• * TESTING - Performs TB testing and annual vaccination, as assigned
• * ROUNDING - Participates in environmental rounds, completing and maintaining environmental lists and recognizes risks and hazards that may be described in the literature but not listed on a checklist or in a policy
• * ANALYSIS - Analyzes nosocomial infection surveillance data, performs statistical analysis, and analyze information during discussions
• * COMMITTEES - Participates in CQI/Infection Control committees and establish action plans, as needed
• * COMPLIANCE - Ensures compliance with all infection control activities required by the Department of Health and organization
• * RELATED DUTIES - Upon receiving the necessary training and/or instruction, performs other related duties as required or assigned
• * PATIENT SAFETY 1 - Follow patient safety-related policies, procedures and protocols
• * PATIENT SAFETY 2 - Demonstrate proactive approach to patient safety by seeking opportunities to improve patient safety through questioning of current policies and processes
• * PATIENT SAFETY 3 - Identify and report/correct environmental conditions and/or situations that may put a patient at undue risk
• * PATIENT SAFETY 4 - Report potential or actual patient safety concerns, medical errors and/or near misses in a timely manner
• * PATIENT SAFETY 5 - Encourage patients to actively participate in their own care by asking questions and reporting treatment or situations that they don't understand or may "not seem right"

Qualifications

Related Education and Experience may be substituted for one another on a year for year basis.

Education:
Essential:
* Program Graduate
Education specialization:
Essential:
* Nationally Accredited Nursing Graduate

Experience:
Essential:
1 year directly related experience
Nonessential:

Credentials:
Essential:
* RN in NM or as allowed by reciprocal agreement by NM
* CPR for Healthcare/BLS Prov or Prof Rescuers w/in 30 days

Physical Conditions:
Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly (Constantly: activity or condition exists 2/3 or more of the time) to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work. May require walking or standing to a significant degree or requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or may require working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of materials is negligible.

Working conditions:
Essential:
* Sig Hazard: Chemicals, Bio Hazardous Materials req PPE
* Sig Haz: Physical risk/injuries due to combative patients
* Sub to work in close proximity to incarcerated individuals
* Must obtain and maintain MDC security clearance as required condition of employment
* Tuberculosis testing is completed upon hire and additionally as required

Sign-On Bonus Available

Relocation Assistance Available