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Form of workNurse (Infection Preventionist) - (GS-0610-11) - 29 Palms, CA
The City of Twentynine Palms is home to the Joshua Tree National Park Headquarters and Main Park Entrance and proud host of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the world's largest Marine Corps training base. The City is renowned for its world-class murals and artists, supportive business climate, pristine air, beautiful natural surroundings, desert and mountain vistas, and friendly family lifestyle.
Twentynine Palms is located in San Bernardino County, California and is a remote and quiet desert community but many popular tourist sites are within a two-hour drive including Big Bear Ski Resort, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/
Management of Infection Prevention and Control Program
Develops policy and protocols and provides leadership in comprehensive nursing care and preventative care related to infection prevention and control (IP&C) services to staff, patients and family members.
Responsible for IP&C in all inpatient areas I outpatient clinics and serves as the Infection Preventionist consultant to the Branch Clinics.
Consults with local authorities and national organizations in regard to command IP&C activities. Serves as consultant for other base services as requested (base schools, dental, etc.)
Determines the need for and conducts appropriately designed hospital surveillance and epidemiological investigations in collaboration with the Preventive Medicine Department.
Works closely with the Environmental Health Officer, Public Health Emergency Officer, and Command Emergency Management Officer to determine the need for, devise, and execute control measures to contain and control outbreaks, endemics or epidemics as applicable.
Exercises computer skills for correspondence, Infection Control program software design/evaluations, and record keeping.
Responsible for all command quality improvement activities that pertain to IP&C. This includes responsibility for meeting Joint Commission (JC) accreditation IP&C standards and adherence to requirements and recommendations from applicable regulatory agencies (e.g. BUMED, CDC, OSHA, and state agencies, etc.)
Collaborates with the Chairperson of the Infection Prevention and Control Committee (physician) in planning, instituting, evaluating and revising the infection prevention and control program plan; assists in determining conditions, resources, and policies essential to deliver}' of health care services.
Coordinates and performs on-going inspections of all inpatient areas and outpatient clinics for basic IP&C standards compliance.
Serves on various command level committees and performs as an advisor in hospital IP&C issues. Initiates the IP&C risk assessment for hospital construction or maintenance and permits projects prior to the start of construction or maintenance.
Prepares and gives oral and written reports of findings and recommendations relating to issues of IP&C to include reports to leadership groups that include, but are not limited to, the governing body and executive committee of the nursing and medical staff. Reports to leadership must be detailed and specific and must provide appropriate content and recommendations to allow valid decisions to be made at command level.
Assists in conducting Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. conducts ongoing tracers throughout the enterprise to ensure compliance with JC and other regulatory standards.
Surveillance:
Manages critical data and information. Reviews microbiology cultures and sensitivity data and admission diagnoses and instructs personnel when unusual, unexpected, or significant findings with implications for nosocomial infections or communicable diseases are uncovered.
Conducts ongoing surveillance using established infection criteria. Documents and investigates healthcare acquired infections through review of patient records, culture results, and treatment orders. Participates in post discharge follow up.
Responsible for the preparation of the antibiotic susceptibility reports for the hospital and the delivery of cumulative reports to all physicians and healthcare providers.
Education:
Independently designs and delivers informal teaching and didactic lectures to physicians, nursing staff and other command personnel regarding IP&C, communicable diseases, isolation procedures, standard precautions and other related infection prevention and control subjects.
Alerts and educates staff on emerging Infection Control and infectious disease issues.
Must be a US Citizen
Licensure:
A current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States; and with evidence of education/training in epidemiology with documented expertise in related aspects of hospital nursing.
Education:
A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from a professional nursing program approved by the legally designated State accrediting agency at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and/or Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) certification is preferred.
Specialized Experience:
Minimum one year of clinical experience involving a focus on Infection Control, risk management, and/or quality improvement.
