INFECTION PREVENTION SPECIALIST 2 - 07282026-79408

Job Information

State of Tennessee Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHELBY COUNTY

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in an applied clinical science including Nursing, Public Health, Medical or Clinical Laboratory Science or a directly related field and experience equivalent to four years of professional, full-time infection control experience.

OR

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) and two years of experience in infection control;

OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a PhD, in Nursing, Public Health, Medical or Clinical Laboratory Science or a directly related field, a DrPH or APN and two years of experience in infection control.

OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with an associate degree in an applied science including nursing, public health, medical or clinical laboratory science or a directly related field and five years of experience in infection control.

Necessary Special Qualifications: Applicants for this class must:

1. Possess and retain a National Certification in Infection Control (CIC) for the duration of employment.

Overview

The Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program within the

Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness (CEDEP) division of the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is accepting applications for an Infection Prevention Specialist 2 position to work throughout the West Grand Division including Memphis-Shelby County. This position is currently funded from year to year through CDC cooperative agreements (grants). Some in-state and out of state travel is required.

The Infection Prevention Specialist 2 will serve as a subject matter expert within the public health sector. The goal of the Infection Prevention Specialist is to ensure appropriate prevention and control of infections within healthcare settings such as Acute Care Hospitals, Nursing Homes and outpatient settings including, but not limited to, physician offices, dental offices, ambulatory surgical centers, and dialysis clinics. This advanced position may have formal supervisor duties.

Responsibilities

Job duties will include:

1.Participation on the HAI/AR Response Team which will include

• Responding to urgent multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) threats by implementing containment strategies to prevent further spread
• Leading outbreak investigations for healthcare-associated infections and infection control breaches
• Collecting epidemiological data on detected MDRO threats and other HAI/AR conditions

2.Conduct and oversee on-site and/or remote infection control assessments of healthcare facilities which includes but is not limited to the following

• Provide follow up consultation around mitigation of identified infection control gaps
• Observe infection control practices and review policies and procedures to ensure compliance with national best practices endorsed by the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

3.Provide infection control training to internal and external stakeholders, including state, regional and local health department staff, state surveyors, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, infection preventionists and quality improvement specialists across the spectrum of healthcare

4.Provide technical assistance and conduct training sessions for healthcare partners and users of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) including enrollment, assistance with the application of definitions and data validation

5.Respond to state and federal regulatory referrals (e.g., the Joint Commission) for certified Medicare/Medicaid entities and complaints from the Office of Healthcare Facilities or Health Boards

6.Develop guidance documents to share with external partners that outline best infection prevention practices

7.Participate in HAI- and MDRO-related projects, including an Emerging Infections Program (EIP) point prevalence study of HAIs and antimicrobial use, onsite and remote validation of HAI data, and other special projects as needed

8.Support HAI prevention collaboratives for healthcare facilities across the state

Competencies (KSA's)

Tools & Equipment

1. Personal Computer
2. Telephone
3. Printer
4. Other office equipment as needed