Nurse Educator - Infection Preventionist

Overview

Methodist Jennie Edmundson Behavioral Health, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is hiring a Nurse Educator!

 

Shift: Days

Schedule: Monday - Friday

 

Methodist Health System, the region’s most established not-for-profit provider, has partnered with Acadia Healthcare, the nation’s largest standalone behavioral health company, to open a new 96-bed inpatient behavioral health hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

 

Scheduled to open in early 2026, Methodist Jennie Edmundson Behavioral Health Hospital will offer a full continuum of inpatient and outpatient care for adults, seniors, and youth, including programs for mood disorders, dual diagnosis, geriatric psychiatry, child & adolescent care, PHP/IOP, and ECT. The facility will play a vital role in addressing the region’s significant behavioral health bed shortage.

 

Join our team and make a difference every day! 

Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Facilitates orientation/onboarding program to promote employee retention.

· Conducts orientation in a manner that fosters a positive learning environment.

· Role models organizational and personal commitment to new employee success.

· Participates in designing and identifying educational activities to address practice gaps for identified target audiences, which may include licensed and non-licensed healthcare personnel.

· Identifies learning needs of staff and/or facility

· Role models competent practice through demonstration or simulation activities

· Assess practice gaps/Crosswalk competencies to practice

· Collaborates with Corporate Nursing Director /Educator to review outcomes data to evaluate and refine competency management activities

· Assist with development and/or instruction of didactic content and clinical skills for designated competencies

· Develops education plan according to gap assessment or quality data/safety outcomes

· Aligns educational programs with facility and/or organization policies and procedures

· Implement and deliver educational curricula as required by regulatory agencies such as Joint Commission, CARF, CMS and State agencies.

· Creates engaging, evidence-based educational content to meet the specific needs of the intended audience

· Demonstrates exceptional instructional skills while maintaining learner engagement

· Act a general resource for nursing staff.

· Collaborate with medical practitioners and CNO/DON to incorporate nursing processes into the plan of care for patients.

· Provide educational leadership to patients and care providers to enhance specialized patient care within established clinical protocol.

· Promotes safe, quality, and compassionate patient care

· Assist patient and caregivers with education needs, problem solution and health management across the continuum of care.

· Educate direct patient care staff in the use of equipment, supplies, and coordinates in-service training for appropriate staff.

· Supports new ideas and innovation in educational design

· Provides staff with resources and “just-in-time” education to implement immediate changes

· Communicate therapeutically and professionally with patients, visitors, coworkers and others in an effective manner

· May provide direct care as needed.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Conduct ongoing surveillance of infections.

· Gather and interpret data and keep accurate records of all infections.

· Compile and present Infection Reports to the Safety/Infection Control Committee and the Performance Improvement Council at assigned intervals.

· Inspect environment and observe personnel activities for the purpose of detecting infection hazards.

· Monitor and evaluate compliance with standards set by facility policy and industry.

· Monitor and update all facility department supervisors on all area-specific policies and procedures important to infection prevention principles. Investigate all 'exposure incidents,' oversee post-exposure evaluation and follow-up process in order to recommend appropriate actions to be taken.

· Notify designated medical, administrative staff and appropriate health department authorities all reportable communicable disease.

· Develop and provide in-service and orientation programs concerning prevention and control of infection, standard precautions, isolation techniques and education on current infectious disease.

· Responsibilities may also include gathering, analyzing and presenting data, facts and trends on infection prevention to facility or corporate leadership.

· Train staff on infection prevention and control protocols.

· Assess and re-enforce infection prevention practices.

OTHER FUNCTIONS: