Registered Nurse (Infection Preventionist)

The Infection Preventionist (IP) Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities to improve patient and organizational outcomes. The IP is responsible for providing expert, evidence-based infection control practices. The IP establishes surveillance indicators and conducts monitoring to identify and reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting infections among patients, employees, visitors, and students.

A Career at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Major Duties: Surveils for hospital acquired infections using National Healthcare Safety Network definitions. Implements the multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO)Prevention Initiative. Identifies and investigates all potential outbreaks of infection. Develops measures for prevention and control of infections using the interdisciplinary approach. Provides in-service education related to infection control to care teams. Performs of environmental studies as necessary to investigate epidemics, augment educational efforts, and monitor sterilization activities. Reviews and revises as necessary, Infection Prevention and Control policies in conjunction with individual care teams. Serves as consultants to the Occupational Health Program and care teams. Serves as liaison to Sterile Processing Service to assist in compliance with reusable medical equipment (RME) requirements Collaborates with Engineering and Facilities Management on Legionella and construction related dust abatement. Serves as liaison to local health departments in reporting communicable diseases and consulting on issues related to community health. Reviews requirements by the Joint Commission, Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Inspector General and other external surveying bodies and advising the VASLCHCS in meeting those requirements. Reviews the Infection Prevention and Control Programs, for the hospital, home care and behavioral health, annually. Recommends new or revised practices or procedures based on currently accepted, evidence-based infection prevention and control strategies. Reviews, analyzes, and applies pertinent information from current scientific literature and publications. Recognizes populations who are at high risk for infection, utilizes the principles of human growth and development to assess patient's requirements relative to age specific needs. Applies epidemiological principles and statistical methods, including risk stratification, to identify target populations, analyzes trends and risk factors, and designs and evaluates prevention and control strategies. Uses appropriate statistical techniques to describe the data, calculate rates, and critically evaluate significance of findings. Develops the organization's surveillance plan based on the population(s) served, services provided, and previous surveillance data, if available. Uses standardized definitions for the identification and classification of events, indicators, or outcomes. Analyzes data utilizing internal and external (if appropriate) benchmarks. Reports epidemiologically significant findings to appropriate parties in a timely manner. Evaluates the effectiveness of the surveillance plan annually. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: M-F 0730-1600 (tour maybe adjusted based on needs) Telework: This position is authorized for telework-situational (ad-hoc) AND has not been authorized as remote. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.