Infection Prevention Specialist

Duke Nursing Highlights:

• Duke University Health System is designated as aMagnet organization
• Nurses from each hospital are consistently recognized each year as North Carolina's Great 100 Nurses.
• Duke University Health System was awarded the American Board of Nursing Specialties Award for Nursing CertificationAdvocacy for being strong advocates of specialty nursing certification.
• Duke University Health System has 6000 + registered nurses
• Quality of Life: Living in the Triangle!
• Relocation Assistance (based on eligibility)

Occ Summary

The Infection Prevention Specialist is trained in hospital epidemiologyprinciples and is responsible for the surveillance , analysis,interpretation and reporting of hospital acquired infections (HAI);educating employees about infection prevention; and the developmen t ofhealth system policies and procedures to insure rigorous infectionco ntrol standards that meet Joint Commission, OSHA, Centers forMedicaid/Me dicare Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) and other nationally recognized recommendations and requirements.

W ork Performed

Performs, coordinates and directs the process of su rveillance toidentify healthcare acquired infections and other adverse o utcomes toensure safe patient care.Uses the electronic medical record an d surveillance system, to reviewclinical and laboratory findings in assi gned areas to identifyinfectious conditions that may require reporting o r further action suchas the implementation of precautions to prevent org anism transmission.Serves as content expert in all infection prevention matters in supportof clinical staff, performance improvement teams and h ospitalcommittees.Demonstrates knowledge and application of current regu latory andprofessional society guidelines. Performs literature reviews t o supportperformance improvement and practice changes.Demonstrates the a bility to assess a situation from an infectionprevention perspective and recommends appropriate action within scope ofresponsibility to ensure safe and quality patient care.Rounds in assigned inpatient units, outpati ent areas, perioperativeareas, and ancillary departments regularly and o n an as needed basis forevaluating compliance with infection prevention practices, policies andregulatory agency requirements.Recognizes need, d evelops and provides educational programs on infectionprevention for all levels of personnel to improve their infectionprevention knowledge base and practice.Conducts new employee education providing basic informatio npreventionprinciples and practices.Assists in assembling agenda, graph s and materials presented anddistributed to the Infection Control Commit tee, performance improvementteams and others as requested.Participates i n epidemiological projects/studies tofurther infectionprevention knowle dge. Collaborates on infection prevention academic andprofessional poste rs/presentations at local, regional and nationalconferences and seeks pu blication in academic/professional journals.Actively seeks professional growth, demonstrates professionalism, andexhibits a good working rapport in all interpersonal interactions withdepartmental staff, healthcare pe rsonnel, contract workers, patients andvisitors and community agencies.A cquires and maintains current knowledge of infection preventionprofessio nal society guidelines, best practices and regulatoryrequirements as dem onstrated by attending infection preventionconferences and workshops, re viewing current infection preventionliterature, guidelines and national standard and networking with HealthSystem and external Infection Prevent ion Specialists.Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge , Skills and Abilities

Capable of building strong relationships w ith providers and staff anddelivering solutions.A good decision-maker, w ith proven success at making timely decisionsthat keep the organization moving forward.Able to work effectively in a complex, and quickly changi ng environmentAction-oriented and eager to embrace new opportunities and challengeswith a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.Adept at planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned withorganiza tional goals.Effective at building formal and informal networks inside a nd outsidethe organization to further departmental and institutional goa ls.Adept at building partnerships and working collaboratively with other sto meet shared objectives and goals.An effective communicator, capable of determining how best to reachdifferent audiences and executing commun ications based on thatunderstanding.Effective at gaining the support and commitment of others by engagingthem around your perspective and priori ties.Resilient in recovering from setbacks and skilled at finding detour saround obstacles.Adept at learning quickly, applying insights from past efforts to newsituations.Flexible in your approach and demeanor in orde r to align withcircumstances.Must participate in on call schedule.Workin g knowledge of patient care practices, microbiology, asepsis ,disinfecti on and sterilization practices, adult education principles,infectious di sease , disease transmission, surveillance techniques,performance measur ement and improvement principles, licensing standardsand regulations.Com puter skills (Excel/PowerPoint/Word), applied knowledge of appliedbiosta tistics, written and graphical presentation skill

Level Char acteristics

N/A

Minimum Qualifications

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed toproviding employment opportunity without regard to an indiv idual's age,color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identit y, geneticinformation, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orie ntation,or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a c ommunity built on collaboration,innovation, creativity, and belonging. O ur collective success depends onthe robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the richdiversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, a nd experiences flourishes.To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all membersof thecommunity feel secure and welcome, that the contribut ions of allindividuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members ofour community have a responsibilityto uphold these values.</ p>

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University andDuke University Health System may include essential job f unctions thatrequire specific physical and/or mental abilities. Addition alinformation and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation wi llbe provided by each hiring department.

E ducation

Bachelor degree in Nursing, Biology, Microbiology, Medic al Technology,Epidemiology, or Master of Public Health (MPH) required.</ p>

Experience

Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in a cute care hospital or similarrequired. One year of Infection Prevention experience, preferred.

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

RNs - current or compact RN licensure in the state of North Carolinareq uired.MTs - current generalist/specialty certification by a nationallyre cognized board/agency required.Must obtain CIC within 3 years of hire if not currently certified.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.