Infection Control Nurse

Quality Management-Ambulatory  
Full Time
Day Shift 
0800-1630

Consistently named best hospital, Lexington Medical Center dedicates itself to providing quality health services that meet the needs of its communities. Ranked #1 in the Columbia metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Medical Center is the only hospital named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina and the first hospital in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care.

The 607-bed teaching hospital anchors a health care network that includes six community medical centers and employs more than 8,700 health care professionals. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina’s first HeartCARE CenterTM and an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence affiliated with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center for research and education. The network also features an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer’s care center and nearly 80 physician practices.  Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year.

 

 

 

 

Job Summary

The Infection Control Nurse (ICN) functions closely in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Medical Staff and under the direct/indirect supervision from the Infection Control Manager who directs the overall strategy and implementation of the Infection Control activities. He/she is responsible for the surveillance and reporting of nosocomial infections, investigation of infection or clusters of infections as, microbiological monitoring of the healthcare environment and remediation as warranted, targeted education, consultation, research, administration and continued professional development. ICN efforts impact nearly all hospital departments, services and disciplines in order to control the spread of nosocomial infection as well as costs associated with such infections.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Minimum Years of Experience: 5 years of experience in a combination of Acute Care Nursing, Epidemiology, or Infection Prevention and Control. At least 2 years must be in Infection Prevention and Control.

Substitutable Education & Experience (Optional): Bachelor's of Science of Nursing can be substituted for an Associate's Degree in Nursing and Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Field.
Required Certifications/Licensure: Currently licensed as a Registered Nurse by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing;

Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology (or attainment within 2 years of entry date into role).
Required Training: Experience in EPIC or Healthcare Databases, and Data Abstraction Experience.

Essential Functions

• Perform surveillance of nosocomial infections, as well as targeted surveillance in problem areas, such as targeted environmental microbiological events. (Accurately identify, use aggregate data, graphically trend, present to areas such as the Infection Control Committee, and conduct investigations using appropriate/defined methodology).
• Use surveillance data, federal and professional guidelines, peer-reviewed journals, etc. to review, revise and develop effective policies in order to minimize the impact of nosocomial infections on LMC patients and staff members.
• Analyze and distribute monthly and quarterly surveillance data to the Infection Control Committee and quarterly unit-specific and service-specific infection reports to the medical staff, nursing staff and the quality, safety and innovations department.
• Routinely interact with personnel from all departments which provide direct or indirect patient care or whose responsibilities impact on materials utilized by patients.
• Drive educational efforts aimed at heightening awareness of nosocomial infection, how to minimize infection among patients, and how to minimize occupational risks of infection are presented to employees as well as to more specifically targeted occupational subgroups. Actively participate in continuing medical education programs sponsored by LMC and other institutions.
• Acts as a community resource and has routine interaction with outside individuals from varied patient care and public health disciplines who seek information, advice or guidance in solving problems related to the control of infection.
• Plan and participate in ongoing applied research, in conjunction with the Medical Staff and other members of the Infection Control team, to include study design, data analysis, writing reports or publications and presentations. Occasionally called upon to provide information for media sources (radio, television, newspapers)