Infection Preventionist - Ambulatory (Local)

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

Quality, Safety & Risk Prevent

Job Summary:

Responsible for identifying, investigating, monitoring, and reporting healthcare-associated infections. Collaborates with teams and individuals to create infection prevention strategies, provide feedback, and sustain infection prevention strategies.

(Note: This role is a local role based in the Middle Tennessee area and supporting VUMC main campus and surrounding clinics in the Middle Tennessee area)

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Assist in planning, developing, implementing, managing and evaluating infection prevention surveillance and epidemiologic investigation activities through a collaborative role with the department leadership as evidenced by the Infection Control Plan. Utilize epidemiologist principles to conduct surveillance and investigations.
• Identifies infectious diseases and develops a liaison role in public health disease reporting and emergency preparedness/emerging disease notification. Evaluates reports for communicable diseases as required by Tennessee State Law Chapter 1200-14-1 Notifiable Diseases to local and state health departments for completeness and coordinates with state and local health department officials for missing data.
• Preventing and controlling the transmission of infectious agents through evidence based infection prevention policies and procedures through collaboration with internal and external groups by identifying infection prevention strategies related to hand hygiene, control of environmental pathogens (Legionella, Aspergillus, etc.), recall of potentially contaminated equipment, food, medication, supplies, and transmission based precautions.
• Develops management and communication strategies to facilitate planning, communication and feedback, and quality/performance improvement and safety activities. Utilizes Performance Improvement methodology as a means of enacting change.
• Designs and delivers training and educational offerings relative to infection prevention for staff/faculty, students, volunteers, patients and families on the educational level appropriate for each group based on assessment of the learning needs.
• Collaborate regarding counseling, follow up, and work restriction recommendations related to communicable diseases/exposures in patients, employees, and communities.
• Recognizes and monitors elements important for a safe care environment including heating, ventilation, humidity, water standards, and construction issues that impact patient care settings.
• Identifies and evaluates appropriate cleaning, sterilization, and disinfection practices and quality control measures. Applies expert organizations' sterilization and disinfection recommendations to facilitate compliance and make recommendations.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• Infection Prevention Research (Intermediate): Incorporates research constructs into the IP program in order to synthesize, apply and evaluate research while applying evidence based IP principles in challenging and complex situations.
• Professional Stewardship (Intermediate): Demonstrates accountability through communication, education, relationship building, and behavior change.
• Infection Prevention (Intermediate): Demonstrates infection prevention skills in practical applications. Trains and educates by setting the example and giving technical instruction.
• Infection Prevention Informatics (Intermediate): Has a working knowledge of surveillance technology and leverages data inputs to help identify healthcare associated infections and other reportable infections as well as managing automated reporting.
• Continuous Process Improvement (Intermediate): Identifies, analyzes and improves upon existing business processes for optimization and to meet standards of quality.  Coaches senior and executive leadership in defining metrics and goals.
• Leadership (Intermediate): Formulates a vision while motivating & guiding employees promoting engagement. Leaders state precise goals, ensures the commitment of individuals to those goals, defines the methods of measurement, and provides the incentive to accomplish measureable outcomes.

About the Department:

The Department of Quality, Safety, and Risk Prevention (QSRP) equips and empowers Vanderbilt Health faculty and staff at our Main Campus, Regional Hospitals and Ambulatory Divisions to offer care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient and patient-centered. We are focused on providing high-quality care through doing the right thing for our patients to reach desired health outcomes, while also preventing errors or adverse events and reducing risks 

The various teams within QSRP foster knowledge sharing to extend best practice use, reduce variability and facilitate improvements in outcomes throughout our health system and strengthening Vanderbilt Health’s mission of personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities through our QSRP Strategic Plan.

Our professional administrative functions include critical supporting roles in information technology and informatics, finance, administration, legal and community affairs, human resources, communications and marketing, development, facilities, and many more.

At our growing health system, we support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose.

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

3 years

Education:

Bachelor's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.