SUMMARY
The Infection Preventionist/Quality Improvement RN is responsible for identifying, investigating, monitoring, and reporting healthcare-associated infections. The IP/QI RN collaborates with physicians, teams, and individuals to create infection prevention and other quality goals and sustain infection prevention strategies. Complies and supports the organization’s policies and procedures, regulations, and Joint Commission standards.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
– Serves as chairperson of the Infection Prevention & Control Committee coordinating the information on the agenda and other related duties.
– Coordinates and compiles new and revised infection prevention and control policies.
– Assists departments in developing, implementing, and improving patient care outcomes.
– Disseminates infection control policies and procedures relative to departments as needed or required by organization policy or regulatory agencies.
– Maintains surveillance of organizational and community acquired infections and delivers documents and information to the Infection Prevention & Control Committee on a quarterly basis.
– Supervises in advising others about infection control policies in isolation and disposition of patients admitted with infection.
– Collaborates with the physician (s) on the committee for any investigation of infections above the expected level.
– Coordinates for the organization any education relating to infection control.
– Coordinates the employee health and immunization programs.
– Reviews all illness reports and incident reports relating to infection control, and reports to the committee.
– Analyzes reports to determine what action is needed.
– Supervises any required reporting to Public Health officials; completes report forms.
– Establishes a record-keeping system that develops and documents all Infection Control activity within the organization.
– Completes delegated activities assigned by the Chief Quality Officer which may include quality improvement, risk management, or accreditation activities.

Demonstrates organizational values in daily work.

Supports the policies and procedures of the organization and the standards of the Joint Commission as required for full accreditation.

Considers age-related factors in care, treatment, education, and evaluation of patients ranging from neonates, pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics. Applies knowledge of age-related factors appropriately in accordance with professional standards and departmental policies and procedures.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow and other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
RN with knowledge or job experience, or both, in epidemiologic principles and infectious diseases and sterilization, sanitation, and disinfection practices. Knowledgeable in adult education principles and/or patient care principles. At least two years of clinical experience preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
RN License. Will obtain CIC certification within two years of hire.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds, and pushing of up to 200 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and outside weather conditions. Occasional contact with communicable diseases. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The duties in this job description are representative of a Class I position as described by OSHA.

ABOUT THE HOSPITAL:
It is a critical access hospital located in Mora with clinics in Mora, Pine City and Hinckley. The hospital serves East-Central Minnesota and Western Wisconsin with primary and secondary medical services, with a state-of-the-art four-bay surgery suite, 24-hour emergency department, an EMA/Paramedic-staffed ambulance service, a newly remodeled birthing center, and many more services to meet the needs of our communities.

Each year, Welia Health performs approximately 2,500 surgeries, delivers 200 babies, manages 10,000 emergency department visits, 85,000 clinic visits, and 3,100 in-patient days. Welia Health is a teaching site for Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) students, and precepts Physician Assistant (PA) and Nurse Practitioner (NP) students and its pharmacists serve as adjunct faculty for the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy.