Infection Prevention & Employee Health Practitioner at Tomah Health – Tomah, Wisconsin

POSITION DETAILS

Part-time with benefits; 64 hours in the two week pay period, Monday through Friday day shift hours.

JOB SUMMARY

The Infection Prevention Practitioner is a professional who is responsible for the daily management of infection prevention and control activities. The Infection Prevention Practitioner utilizes a clinical background and skills to: participate in risk assessment and risk potential of the facility; perform surveillance activities; provide patient and staff education regarding disease transmission; work with the Medical Staff in monitoring HAI infections; and serve as a resource person to the hospital. The IP Practitioner helps ensure a safe working environment that complies with Joint Commission and State guidelines and promotes health and wellness at the facility. The IP Practitioner is responsible for assisting in the collection and analysis of data for the hospital’s Quality, Compliance and Risk programs as well as providing data collection for various departments.

The Employee Health Practitioner (EHP) helps ensure a safe environment for employees and volunteers. The EHP assumes the responsibility for monitoring and promoting occupational health and safety of all hospital staff as well as maintaining employee and volunteer health status records upon hire and annually. The EHP is also responsible for all aspects of employee COVID testing.

MAJOR JOB FUNCTION - Infrection Prevention

• Drafts, revises and maintains policies and procedures and plans relating to Infection Prevention.
• Serves a principal working member of the Infection Prevention Committee, responsible for influencing, coordinating, implementing, supervising and evaluating the standards of care developed by the committee.
• Conducts ongoing surveillance of infections in hospital patients and hospital personnel; compiles and interprets the surveillance data.
• Reviews, communicates and ensures compliance with accreditation standards.
• Investigates clusters of infections or changes in patterns of infection.
• Conducts regular risk assessments with input from key departments and implements strategies to reduce those risks
• Communicates data regarding hospital related infections with appropriate department heads and works collaboratively with other departments to seek solutions to infection problems.
• Collaborates with all disciplines and departments in the facility to incorporate infection control principles in policies and procedures in order to provide a safe environment for hospital patients and personnel.
• Continues self-education by reviewing current literature and attending workshops and formal courses.
• Reports infections and/or communicable diseases to the appropriate public health authority and/or registries, such as NHSN
• Participates in the development of policy related to the cleaning of space, equipment, and supplies. Develops and updates isolation techniques according to current standards of practice to provide optimum care to patients with infections and provide protection for employees.
• Develops and presents educational programs on prevention and control of infection for health care personnel. Acts as a resource to hospital personnel in conjunction with the infectious diseases physician.
• Develops and evaluates criteria for healthcare acquired infections.
• Monitors patient care activities to identify methods, techniques, equipment, supplies, products, procedures and policies that could constitute a risk of originating or transmitting infection.
• Orients new hospital employees to the Infection Control Program used in the hospital.
• Performs crisis intervention/follow-up for incidents relating to potential exposure to infectious diseases by patients and employees.
• Develops and implements a Quality Improvement program related to infection prevention.
• Reviews and abstracts data from medical records for the purpose of monitoring the quality of patient care.
• Collects and analyzes data related to patient satisfaction surveys, incident reports, core measure, national patient safety goals, checkpoint, leapfrog, general hospital safety measures and trauma.
• Assists in quality, accreditation and risk management activities.
• Facilitates the achievement of regulatory accreditation and organizational compliance.
• Organizes, complies and reports QI data for both the hospital and medical staff to identify trends and establish priorities and recommend improvement activities.
• Collects data and organizes information related to quality and risk reduction for the hospital.
• Supports and assists in the collection of data for required reporting.
• Appropriately reports issues found during record reviews to utilization review and other departments as necessary.
• Educates self and hospital staff on current JC standards and other accreditation standards.
• Performs various clerical duties for the Quality Department and as directed including but not limited to: sends notices and arranges for meetings, etc; types agendas and minutes; answers the telephone, take messages and communicates messages appropriately.
• Handles confidential information in a discreet manner and files said confidential information appropriately.
• Coordinates special projects as directed and prepares reports and records as directed.
• Promotes and contributes to a positive, problem-solving environment and is able to complete projects in a timely and dependable manner.
• Maintains established hospital and departmental policies and guidelines, objectives, quality improvement program, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Enhances professional growth and development of self and others through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings and workshops.
• Maintains a professional attitude and observes proper ethics. Position involves frequent contact with the customer, who should be regarded with respect and compassion at all times.
• Responds to the changing priorities of the workload in a flexible manner.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

MAJOR JOB FUNCTION - Employee Health

• Provides Employee Health services according to Tomah Health policies and procedures.
• Provide and maintain the immunization/tuberculosis screening and surveillance program for TH employees (including candidates for employment and current employees) and volunteers. Employee immunization requirements include vaccination or immunity regarding measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus, pertussis and hepatitis B and current tuberculosis testing and symptom review. Volunteer immunization requirements include vaccination or immunity regarding rubella and current tuberculosis testing and symptom review.
• Maintains all Tomah Health employee and volunteer covid immunization records.
• Coordinates with Human Resources to ensure current covid guidelines and requirements are met by all Tomah Health employees and volunteers.
• Coordinates all pre-employment physicals and monitors new hire pre-employment drug screens.
• Coordinates with occupational health provider as needed.
• Interprets professional guidelines ensuring regulatory guidelines are met.
• Conducts periodic health history review for all staff.
• Conducts annual influenza vaccination program to include coordination, administration, reporting and follow-up.
• Monitors the Clarity system and conducts occupational exposure follow-up to include lab testing, consents, counseling, and policy information.
• Drafts, edits, and implements Employee Health policy and procedures.
• In cooperation with Infection Control, ensures compliance with OSHA blood borne pathogen (BBP) precautions, use of safe-sharps, and post-exposure process.
• Provide annual TB Surveillance.
• Provide immunization services for employees including teaching, counseling, follow-up and record keeping.
• Develops, implements, and monitors education programs on employee health. Prepares statistical data on program and takes necessary steps to further the success of the program.
• Records and maintains all Tomah Health staff records.
• Works with Education to ensure that all EH topics communicated to staff are up to date and accurate.
• Coordinates Wellbeing Committee and Wellbeing benefits provided to staff.
• Conducts workplace violence surveillance.
• Assists Volunteer Coordinator with health needs of volunteer staff.
• Assists in job shadow application record review.
• Assists with Human Resources related to employee incident reporting of injuries, illnesses, and exposures. Coordinates in incident/exposure investigation, and in the monitoring of employee illnesses for trends.
• Assist Human Resources with Workers’ Compensation case management.
• Harmonize Employee Health activities with Infection Control actions regarding communicable disease.
• Assist Respiratory Therapy with OSHA Respirator Medical Questionnaires and employee fit testing as needed and tracks all fit testing.
• Report BBP exposures and employee-contracted communicable diseases to Infection Prevention.
• Tracks and trend employee illnesses and reports to Infection Prevention.
• Serve on Tomah Health committees and task forces as needed.
• Takes calls from employees seeking medical advice regarding COVID and screens for COVID testing eligibility.
• Performs administrative duties including organizing and maintaining filing system, locating information files and preparing reports.
• Performs nasal swabbing for employee COVID testing.
• Calls employees with results of Covid Lab tests and performs all internal contact tracing on staff.
• Prepares and/or completes paperwork related to COVID testing as necessary.
• Demonstrates the initiative and the ability to work independently in an unstructured capacity.
• Performs related work as required.

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.
• Current licensure to permit to practice in the state of Wisconsin as a registered Nurse.
• Current BLS certification
• Extensive background in medical terminology, basic anatomy and physiology, surgical terminology and pharmacology required.
• 3-5 years clinical experience preferred.
• Infection control experience desired.
• Advanced Infection Prevention Training or Associate Infection Prevention Practitioner training desired.
• Prior experience with data abstraction, statistical reporting, Microsoft Word and Excel preferred.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite as well as other Infection prevention software

SKILLS

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent human relation skills as demonstrated by the ability to interface positively with all customers and employees.
• Must acquire the knowledge and maintain established competency levels to perform essential professional nursing practice.
• Must have the ability to work with frequent interruptions, under stress, with minimal supervision, and to exercise initiative and judgment in analyzing, organizing, planning, prioritizing, scheduling and coordinating work with others.
• Needs to possess as high level of intelligence, integrity, sense of responsibility and ability to comprehend and analyze details.
• Knowledge of theory, principles, techniques and practice of professional nursing; of scientific principles and nursing research; of preparation, administration, and actions of medications; of treatments and medical procedures; of counseling and teaching techniques; of medical equipment as it relates to patient care.
• Ability to operate and handle many kinds of complex equipment.
• Ability to demonstrate clinical competence and maintain current knowledge in caring for infant through geriatric patients.

• Regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, and talk and hear.
• The Infection Prevention Practitioner is frequently required to stand, walk and reach with hands and arms. The Infection Prevention Practitioner is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel or crouch, and smell.
• The Infection Prevention Practitioner must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Good hearing is necessary to receive detailed information through oral communication.
• Visual acuity is needed to assess color changes, to verify accuracy of written materials and to administer and accurately prepare medications.